Drunken Flower Room - Chapter 53

Zhou Gu thought that reducing Su Rong’s lessons to half a day was an excellent idea, surely, she wouldn’t feel as exhausted anymore. 

Turning to her, he suggested, “Eat your meal. If you’re truly too tired to move, let Yue Wan feed you?” 

Madam Su nearly choked at the suggestion. Goodness, he even brought up feeding her directly. 

Meanwhile, Master Su chuckled heartily, clearly delighted. He kept nodding, thinking that Zhou Gu, though still young, certainly knew how to show care and affection. 

The concubines and daughters of the household couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Who would have thought? The young master of the Zhou family is someone who genuinely knows how to care for others. His demeanor doesn’t seem like a pretense, and with his status, he wouldn’t need to fake concern for Su Rong anyway. 

Only Su Xingze remained indifferent, his expression calm as he mildly reminded, “Su Rong, eat your meal.” 

Reluctantly, Su Rong picked up her chopsticks, turned to Zhou Gu, tilted her head, and gave him a sweet smile. In a soft, gentle voice, she said, “Zhou Gu, you’re so kind.” 

Zhou Gu blushed. He wasn’t used to doing such small favors for someone in front of others, let alone speaking up on someone’s behalf. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he said no more and focused on his meal. 

After dinner, the sky had already darkened, but being the night of the sixteenth, the full moon hung high, bathing the earth in bright, silvery light. 

Su Rong asked Zhou Gu, “Are you going out again tomorrow?” 

Zhou Gu replied, “I’ll go along with whatever Brother Su arranges. Today was very interesting, and I learned a lot. It was truly rewarding.” 

Hearing this, Su Xingze said, “In that case, let’s visit Wenhui Tower tomorrow. The scholars from the academy will be predicting topics for the upcoming autumn imperial examinations. It’s a long-standing tradition in Jiangning. We can go and see what they have to say.” 

“Predicting exam topics publicly?” Zhou Gu found the concept intriguing, it was entirely new to him. 

Su Xingze nodded. “Yes, it’s an old tradition here. But to be honest, they haven’t predicted correctly in several consecutive rounds. It’s more of a novelty now, something fun to watch.” 

Zhou Gu laughed. “That makes sense. If they were consistently accurate, wouldn’t countless candidates shoot to the top? The great scholars responsible for crafting the exam questions would’ve intervened in Jiangning long ago.” 

After leaving the main hall, the group began walking toward their respective courtyards. At a fork in the path, Su Rong hesitated, clearly reluctant to part ways with Zhou Gu. After all, they had spent the whole day apart. 

“Zhou Gu,” she asked, “are you tired? The moonlight is so beautiful tonight, how about we take a walk?” 

Zhou Gu shook his head. “A walk? Aren’t you the one who said you were tired?” 

Su Rong pointed to her stomach. “Even if I’m tired, I need to digest my dinner before sleeping.” 

Zhou Gu nodded in agreement. “That’s true. Alright, let’s take a walk then.” 

Su Xingze gave the two of them a glance but didn’t intervene, turning to head back on his own. 

Walking along the waterside pavilion, Zhou Gu recounted the day’s events to Su Rong, mentioning everyone he had met while with Su Xingze. He was especially complimentary about Jiang Xing. 

“If nothing unexpected happens,” Zhou Gu remarked, “your elder brother will make it into the top tier of the imperial exam. Jiang Xing is almost certain to secure a spot in the second tier. As for the others, they should comfortably make it into the third.” 

Su Rong nodded. “My elder brother has always been outstanding. He studied under Uncle Xie and was later invited to Yunshan Academy two years ago to assist the dean. Jiang Xing is excellent too. While he might not match my brother, he’s solidly grounded and has a flair for creativity. If he performs exceptionally well, he might even surpass expectations.” 

Zhou Gu was surprised. “How do you know their strengths and weaknesses so well?” 

Su Rong grinned mischievously. “Of course I know! Back when I was broke, I stole my brother’s poetry drafts to sell. When Jiang Xing found out, he gave me his work to sell as well. To get better prices, I had to put in some effort. Their current reputations, especially my brother’s widespread fame, owe a little bit to my promotions!” 

Zhou Gu was speechless. He stared at her, incredulous. Finally, he managed to say, “You’re… quite something.” 

Su Rong noticed Zhou Gu’s expression and easily guessed the skepticism in his mind. She sighed and said, “I had no choice. My monthly allowance was limited. Mother decided long ago to save for our dowries. Each of us sisters only gets two taels of silver a month. I love going out to have fun, how could two taels be enough? I had to find another way.” 

Zhou Gu gave her an appraising look. “Your ‘other way’ is certainly creative. Your elder brother didn’t punish you for it?” 

Su Rong chuckled. “No, but after he found out, he stationed guards at his study. It’s more heavily guarded than Father’s.” 

At last, Zhou Gu understood why Su Xingze’s study was so well-protected. He was genuinely impressed. “You’re something else.” 

Curious, he asked, “How did Jiang Xing find out? And why was he willing to let you sell his poems?” 

“One time, he bumped into me at Wenhui Tower while I was selling my elder brother’s poetry. He caught me red-handed,” Su Rong explained with a shrug. She figured Zhou Gu didn’t seem to hold a grudge despite hearing so many of her antics, so she continued candidly. “He was shocked and asked if Brother Xingze was short on money to the point he had me selling his poetry. I quickly told him no, no, no, he had misunderstood. It wasn’t my brother who needed money; it was me.” 

Zhou Gu couldn’t help but laugh. “So, how many of his poems did you end up selling?” 

Su Rong scratched her head. “Oh, just a dozen or so.” 

It was actually dozens. 

Zhou Gu wasn’t convinced. “Really, just a dozen?” 

Su Rong gave up. “Fine, fine. I’ll be honest. It was a few dozen.” 

“So many? How much money did you make?” Zhou Gu was astonished. 

“Sometimes a hundred taels, sometimes a few dozen. I never kept track of the exact amount. He said he was repaying me for saving him from being chased by a vicious dog, so I didn’t hold back.” 

Zhou Gu was at a loss for words. “And all that money, what did you spend it on?” 

Su Rong thought about explaining that she had spent it supporting people, many people, but she couldn’t say that outright. Instead, she simply said, “On food, drink, and entertainment.” 

Zhou Gu gave her a look that said you really know how to spend. “So, do you still need money these days?” 

“Not anymore.” Su Rong shook her head. The people she had supported had become self-sufficient and could even support her now. It was like the saying about the crow feeding its parents, she truly didn’t lack money anymore. 

“And how come you’re suddenly not short on money? Don’t tell me you’re still selling Jiang Xing’s poems.” 

“No, I stopped two years ago.” Su Rong quickly came up with a reason. “My elder brother secretly supplements my allowance. He gives me fifty taels a month, so I don’t need to sell poetry anymore.” 

Zhou Gu clicked his tongue. “Fifty taels a month? That’s quite a lot.” 

“Of course. My elder brother is amazing. He earns a hundred taels a month as an assistant scholar at Yunshan Academy, so he gives me half.” Su Rong couldn’t help but feel that her elder brother was truly one of a kind. 

To put things in perspective, an average household didn’t earn even two taels of silver a month. Yet Su Xingze gave her fifty taels. None of her other sisters enjoyed this kind of treatment. Madam Su had once scolded Su Xingze in private, saying he had grown up under her care yet never gave her a single coin. She even questioned whether the other daughters were adopted while only Su Rong was her real child. 

Su Xingze’s favoritism toward Su Rong was so pronounced that even Madam Su felt a twinge of jealousy. 

“Is your dowry ready, then?” Zhou Gu suddenly asked. 

“Not yet,” Su Rong replied, shaking her head. “I’ve been too much of a spendthrift over the years. Half of the dowry Mother saved for me is gone. She’s working on rebuilding it now.” 

“How could you spend even your dowry? Weren’t you getting fifty taels a month?” Zhou Gu was shocked.