Chapter Forty: The Sage Speaks Not of Strange Powers or Spirits

“I’ve heard that your family has a prodigy—a child who could read at three, compose poetry at seven, and now at fifteen, I daresay after this New Year, your Chen family will have another scholar. It’s quite rare in Jianghuan Town to have two scholars in one household,” Steward Zhou said with a smile.

“We’ll only know after he’s taken the exam,” replied the middle-aged scholar, though the joy on his face was impossible to conceal.

At this moment, Chen Yushu bowed to the scholar and said, “Chen Yushu pays his respects to Mr. Chen.” He felt a bit puzzled; last time, hadn’t they said they knew someone at the brokers’ office? Of course, as long as the house was suitable, he didn’t care about the dealings in between.

He then glanced at the busy apprentices in the pharmacy and asked Steward Zhou, “Is now a good time to go?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? Let’s go!” Steward Zhou dismissed his concern, confident in his authority as the front courtyard manager to handle such matters. Out of consideration for Chen Yushu, he decided to accompany them as well.

Chen Yushu was more than happy with this arrangement. The middle-aged scholar, Chen Shi, nodded and took the lead.

“My house, though a bit off the main road, has a lovely environment and is close to Jingning Academy. It used to be my son Jie’s residence while he was studying. There are two bedrooms, a hall, a front yard, and a back yard. If it hadn’t been for old Zhou mentioning it over drinks last night, I wouldn’t have considered renting it out,” Chen Shi introduced with a hint of reluctance as he glanced at Steward Zhou.

“Your house would just sit empty otherwise. Better to rent it out—and with my nephew moving in, you can rest easy about the tenant,” Steward Zhou said with a chuckle.

Now Chen Yushu understood—this was a favor repaid. He had sold the treasured fish to Steward Zhou, who probably didn’t keep it for himself; whether he resold it or gave it away, its value far exceeded the fifty silver taels he’d paid. That was why he’d gone out of his way to help find a suitable house. Chen Yushu felt a genuine sense of gratitude.

Suddenly, Chen Yushu stopped and glanced at a courtyard not far away. “Whose house is that?” he asked.

The courtyard was large, flanked by stone lions at the entrance. Above the door, there was a spot where a plaque should be, typically bearing the family name, but it had been removed, leaving it empty. Even the main doors looked old, with a side door locked and rusted, and beside it, a dog hole through which wild grass could be seen overrunning the grounds—it was clear no one had lived there for a long time.

“That’s the Zuo family’s estate. I heard something happened a few years back, and the whole family moved out overnight. It’s stood empty ever since,” Chen Shi replied after a glance.

“Something happened?” Chen Yushu frowned.

To him, it wasn’t just “something”—it was clearly haunted. Last night, he had been startled by a strong, oppressive aura emanating from that very house as he passed by.

“It’s more than just an incident,” Steward Zhou chimed in. “That place is a genuine haunted house. Several families have tried moving in, and every one of them fled within three days, scared out of their wits.”

“Gentlemen do not speak of strange, supernatural things,” Chen Shi said, shaking his head. “There are no ghosts in this world.”

“You’re a scholar, so it’s no wonder you don’t believe in such things. Besides, with your scholarly reputation, even if there were spirits, they wouldn’t dare show themselves to you,” replied Steward Zhou, not arguing further.

Soon, they arrived at a house near the northern edge of town. As Chen Shi had mentioned, the location was a bit remote, for not far ahead stood the tall town wall. Yet it wasn’t the very last house—three others stood beyond it. This one, the fourth from the end, was set apart by a small courtyard walled off with bricks. From the outside, they could see two willow trees inside, their branches fluttering in the breeze.

“Come in,” Chen Shi said, opening the courtyard gate. “The yard isn’t large, but it should be enough for one person to practice martial arts. In the back are the rooms: a study, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a living room. The kitchen still has pots and bowls; I’ll just leave them, they’re still usable after a bit of cleaning. There are also some old books in the study I haven’t cleared out. If they’re in your way, I can have someone move them immediately.”

Following his words, Chen Yushu looked into the study. There, a bookshelf held a good number of books—the Four Books and Five Classics, works on painting and calligraphy, and even writing brushes and inksticks, likely left by Chen Shi’s son.

He then walked into the backyard, which was small and fenced in with bamboo. Not far beyond lay a field of rice paddies, and behind them, a small hill topped with buildings visible in the distance.

“That’s Ningjing Academy. From here, it’s just the time it takes to burn an incense stick to reach it,” Chen Shi said with a smile.

“How much is the monthly rent?” Chen Yushu asked eagerly, for he truly liked the house.

“Three taels of silver per month. Lease for at least half a year. If you take it for a full year, I’ll just charge you thirty taels,” Chen Shi said after a brief pause.

“That’s too expensive.”

Before Chen Yushu could say anything, Steward Zhou jumped in, eyes wide. “My nephew here is just an apprentice, Old Chen, don’t take advantage of his youth. How about lowering the price? Next time, I’ll get Doctor Jiao to prescribe you some medicine that’s sure to please you.”

“On Elder Zhou’s account, two taels a month—minimum lease is still half a year, but I can’t give you the annual discount. If you stay the full year, it’ll be twenty-four taels,” Chen Shi replied quickly.

“Agreed. Thank you, Mr. Chen,” said Chen Yushu, knowing the price was indeed fair, so he accepted without further hesitation.

After that, they visited the brokers’ office to sign the lease. Chen Yushu paid half a year’s rent in one go.

…

By the time he returned to the pharmacy, it was nearly noon.

“So you’ve rented a house and are planning to move out?” Xu San asked, his face full of astonishment. “We’re both apprentices, but the difference between us is too great!”

He had been an apprentice at the Liu family pharmacy for over five years, and a decoction apprentice for more than a year, earning two taels a month, yet still lived at the shop.

Why? Simply, he was too poor to do otherwise, and couldn’t bear the expense.

But Chen Yushu? Xu San had witnessed him join the pharmacy and become a decoction apprentice not long ago, and now he was moving out already?

“It’s just that living in the pharmacy is a bit inconvenient,” Chen Yushu replied with a smile.

“That’s true, no one knows what it’s like to live in those communal bunks except those who have,” Xu San said, envy written all over his face. After all, he knew Chen Yushu had found a treasure fish and sold it for a good sum. With that much silver, not only could he rent a house, he could even spend a month living on a pleasure boat by the river if he wished.