Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Head of the Academy

Early the next morning, Gan Sui and Banxia packed their belongings and headed to the county office. Magistrate Lin happened to be coming out at that very moment. He offered Gan Sui some words of advice and encouragement, then the group set off on their journey.

Lin You had spent quite some time pestering Magistrate Lin before finally getting permission to go along. He winked at Banxia, but she pretended not to notice, only responding with a gentle smile. Lin You wanted desperately to squeeze into the carriage with Gan Sui and Banxia, but the carriage was too small, and he was forced to sit with his father instead, the two of them eyeing each other with mutual annoyance.

Magistrate Lin found himself truly feeling the sting of comparison. He had never thought his own son was lacking before, but now, when he looked at Gan Sui and then at his own son, the difference was impossible to ignore. No matter how he looked, he found Lin You unsatisfactory.

Lin You, for his part, felt his father growing ever sterner lately. No matter what he did, he was scolded—and what was worse, he couldn’t even mention Gan Sui. The moment Gan Sui’s name came up, his father’s dissatisfaction only deepened, as if he’d just discovered Gan Sui was his real son and Lin You had been switched at birth. Lin You was so aggrieved that he could only glare at his father, both of them turning to look out the window with a huff.

The carriage ride from the county town to the prefectural office would take over an hour. As soon as they settled into the carriage, Banxia was filled with curiosity. She lifted the curtain, gazing eagerly at the world outside. Gan Sui didn’t mind her amusement and let her amuse herself, while he silently reviewed the texts he had studied the day before. The imperial examination was even more challenging than he had anticipated, especially without the benefit of a classical education. The material he needed to memorize was jumbled and vast, but fortunately, he excelled at organizing information. After months of effort, he had finally managed to piece together the essentials; what remained was rote memorization, a feat he was well-suited for thanks to his extraordinary memory.

Before the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had passed, Banxia’s excitement began to fade. Unlike modern roads, ancient official roads lacked greenery and decorative elements; in this remote town, all she could see were barren paths and sparse, low shrubs. What tormented her even more was the roughness of the road and the lack of suspension in the carriage—every jolt left her backside sore.

Not wanting to disturb Gan Sui’s focused study, Banxia quietly stretched her limbs as best she could in the cramped space. Gan Sui, opening his eyes, immediately noticed her discomfort.

“Is the ride too bumpy for you?” he asked.

“A little,” Banxia admitted, slightly embarrassed.

Gan Sui pulled her into his arms, settling her securely against him. Having experienced the discomfort of carriage travel before, he changed the subject to distract her. “When we reach the city, we’ll find an inn and leave our things. You and Lin You can go explore together. He may not be the most reliable character, but he’s strong enough to protect you and help carry your things. If you see anything you want to buy, don’t hold back—soon we’ll have plenty of silver, more than enough for the two of us.”

Banxia agreed, then brought up the matter of finding a house in the city. “What kind of place would you like?”

“It doesn’t need to be too big. Ideally, we’d have a storefront in front for business, with living quarters in the back so we don’t need to find separate lodging.”

“Even better if it’s near the academy,” Banxia said thoughtfully. “The academy’s food is probably not very good. Your health has only just improved after months of care. If you lose weight at the academy, that would be a real shame.”

Gan Sui found her concern amusing. “People go to the academy to study hard, not for the food and lodging.”

“But that’s important too! Nowadays, there are plenty of parents who move with their children to ensure proper nutrition—it shows how much it matters. It’s settled then, the house can’t be too far from the academy.”

This suited Gan Sui perfectly. He, too, didn’t want to be far from Banxia. Although she could take care of herself, her pure-heartedness and soft nature made her ill-matched against truly malicious people. If she were too far away, he couldn’t rest easy. “It’s settled then. No rush on the house—we’ll stay here a couple of days. Tomorrow, I’ll go with you to look at places. Today, just explore with Lin You and get to know the city.”

As the two chatted along the way, Banxia’s laughter frequently drifted from their carriage to Lin You’s ears, making the carriage feel even more stifling to him. His father, unable to resist teasing, said, “What, you want a wife too? I’ll have your mother find you one when we get home.”

Lin You protested anxiously, “I don’t want one! The girls my mother picks are all daughters of scholarly families, noses in the air, speaking as if every word is a favor, and always spouting flowery classical phrases that make no sense to me.”

“I agree, your mother’s taste in girls isn’t great. I think General Guo’s granddaughter is a good choice. What do you think?”

“No way, not her!” Lin You shook his head like a rattle-drum. That girl was terrifying—always waving a whip. Who would dare marry her?

“I want to focus on my studies. I can’t let romance ruin my future. How could you face our ancestors if I did?”

Magistrate Lin rapped him on the head. “You dare bring up our ancestors? You’ve spent half a month on a single military text and can only stutter through the first few pages. If our ancestors saw such a lazy descendant, they’d leap from their graves in anger.”

“That’s not my fault! Our ancestors were butchers. Maybe our family just doesn’t have the gift for scholarship. If you can read, it just means you’re a prodigy; if I can’t, it means I’m carrying on the family tradition…”

Lin You continued to jest, earning himself a smack with a shoe sole. He quickly scrambled to the front to sit with the driver, swinging his legs with newfound freedom—better here than in the stuffy carriage.

Upon arriving in the city, they found an inn and left their belongings. Gan Sui, after giving a few instructions, hurried off with Magistrate Lin.

Banxia and Lin You exchanged a glance, the excitement of children left unsupervised shining in their eyes, and embarked on their own half-day tour of the provincial capital.

Gan Sui’s experience was far less relaxed. Magistrate Lin was even more anxious than he was about meeting his superior, chattering incessantly from the moment they set off, leaving Gan Sui’s head spinning. For the first time, he began to understand why the Bull Demon King in "A Chinese Odyssey" wanted to end it all.

Arriving at the prefectural office, Gan Sui was surprised by the grandeur of the scene. Over thirty county officials from surrounding areas were assembled in the inner hall. As Gan Sui entered, he felt the heat of their collective gaze.

He was about to bow when the Prefect waved him up. “No need for formalities, no need. Young Gan, you are truly accomplished at such a young age.”

“You flatter me, sir. I merely drew upon the wisdom of those who came before.”

“So modest, and so young too. I called you here for two reasons: first, to bestow the imperial reward upon you; and second, to ask about your agricultural methods. I hear your rice fields yield better than others—why is that?”

“I raise fish in the paddies,” Gan Sui replied. “As I mentioned in my proposal, the fish eat the insects on the rice leaves and roots, ensuring healthy growth. Their waste serves as fertilizer for the rice. The fish raised can be sold at the market, so one field brings two streams of income—a good way to boost farmers’ earnings.”

“That’s an excellent method—everyone, take note and see if it can be implemented in your villages,” the Prefect said, his tone that of a teacher urging his students to learn from the top of the class. The county magistrates all listened intently.

“Do you have any other experience to share, Gan?” the Prefect inquired.

“The same principle applies to ponds. Plant mulberry trees by the bank; the leaves can be used for silkworms, the silkworm droppings can feed the fish, and the fish waste accumulates as silt for fertilizing the mulberries. Each resource is reused to maximize efficiency.”

This meeting quickly became Gan Sui’s personal academic seminar. He spoke until his mouth was dry, while the officials scribbled furiously, eager to return home and put his ideas into practice.

“But above all,” Gan Sui concluded, “each region must find the path that suits its own circumstances. Blindly copying methods won’t always yield good results and may even be harmful. Ultimately, what the people want is enough to eat, warm clothes, and a peaceful life. As long as a magistrate provides that, he is a good official in their eyes.”

His words left many pondering, while the Prefect was thoroughly pleased. He showered Magistrate Lin with praise for bringing forth such talent. Magistrate Lin, who had rarely enjoyed the spotlight, was overjoyed at this turn of luck, and looked at Gan Sui with the warmth of a long-lost son.

Gan Sui, somewhat unsettled by the intensity of the gaze, collected his reward and returned to the inn. The imperial court had issued a reward, and the Prefect, not to be outdone, also gave him a hundred taels of silver to encourage his studies and to bring honor to Liangcheng Prefecture in the future.

Magistrate Lin would have liked to offer a reward as well, but his wife had recently discovered and emptied his private stash; his purse was now emptier than his face was pale. All he could do was shower Gan Sui with verbal praise.

Gan Sui seemed unfazed by the compliments, which only further impressed Magistrate Lin. If only this steady, humble young man were his own son—how true it is that other people’s children are always the better ones.

Magistrate Lin broached another subject. “I hear from You’er that you plan to move to the city after the autumn harvest?”

“That’s right. We used to lack the means, but now that we have some silver, I plan to buy a small house in the capital, so my wife can live here while I attend the academy.”

“I always thought the county academy was good, but now I see it would be a waste for you. The Cloudhidden Academy here is excellent—the headmaster is the emperor’s own teacher, a man of unmatched virtue and learning. But you’ll need to pass the entrance exam. Would you like me to speak to the prefect on your behalf? Given your background, it might help.”

“There’s no need. I’d rather rely on myself.”

The young man’s pride was evident, and Magistrate Lin didn’t press further. After all, there were many academies in the city, so there would be other options.

With nothing more to say, Gan Sui tucked five hundred and fifty taels in banknotes into his pocket, kept fifty taels in loose silver at hand, and returned to the inn to find Banxia.