Chapter 8: A Multitude of Liu Xuande

"My surname is Liu."

"Liu? Could you be Liu Xuande?"

Wang Erlang quickly touched his niece's forehead—could she be feverish?

Liu Xiaolang glanced at her. "Tomorrow at dawn, you'll see plenty of Liu Xuande on the street ahead."

"Really?" Wang Ge eyed him suspiciously, as if he were deceiving her.

Wang Erlang grew anxious. "Come, I'll take you to the pharmacy first."

"Second Uncle, I'm not sick. Brother Liu, are you also sitting for the carpenter's examination?"

"No."

"Then you've really gone out of your way to show us the examination grounds."

"It's no trouble. My home is right there."

The farther east they walked, the more remote their surroundings became, until vast fenced areas came into view. The grounds were not yet open to the public; the three stood outside the fence as Liu Xiaolang pointed to the enormous drum set up in the center, as wide as a millstone. "When the time comes, that drum will mark the hours. Five beats every quarter hour, for a total of one hundred beats."

Wang Erlang began to count on his fingers. Wang Ge replied with a simple "Oh," and said, "Two and a half hours."

Liu Xiaolang finally showed some expression, surprised. "How did you calculate so quickly?"

"What's there to calculate? One hour is eight quarters, five beats per quarter, so forty beats an hour. It's easy to work out."

Wang Erlang awkwardly lowered his hand, thinking, Her arithmetic is precise—her mind must be sound.

Liu Xiaolang gave a respectful bow. "The selection for each type of artisan is staggered in time and place. For carpenters, the competition for exceptional skill will be held here in two days. Will you participate in the straw weaving division, young lady?"

"I will." Wang Ge thought: This youth is observant and clear-minded, not an ordinary country boy. But how is he certain it's me competing, not Second Uncle?

"Would you weave something for me to see?"

"Certainly."

It was the first time Wang Erlang watched his niece weave with real attention. Before, Hu Tou often played with grasshoppers, sparrows, and butterflies fashioned from straw; her elder brother's basket weaving skills were learned from her and then passed on, but even so, Wang Erlang had only thought her clever and dexterous.

Now, he saw her fingers wrap and thread leaves with ease and speed, each movement pulling the leaf taut just right. He no longer saw her hands as rough—they drew all his attention with their nimble grace.

A green peach took shape, with four petals at its base, lending the fruit an energetic look.

Wang Erlang exclaimed, "Ge weaves beautifully!"

Liu Xiaolang praised her as well. "Not bad." But immediately cautioned, "If you only weave ornamental objects during the examination, you won't pass."

Wang Ge understood. "Brother Liu means the examination values practicality?"

"Indeed. As I said, tomorrow, walk the streets with your uncle—you'll understand."

The uncle and niece thanked him; Liu Xiaolang nodded and departed.

Wang Erlang said, "Ge, have you noticed? Liu Xiaolang isn't like the sons of small households."

"He's already tied his hair up—likely began his studies early."

"The countryside is good; even ordinary folk can study." Some thought darkened Wang Erlang's brow.

Wang Ge hastened to reassure him, "Second Uncle, don't lose heart. Our boys might one day study too!"

"Hmph, as if fortune is so kind! Come on, let's find lodgings."

They headed north. Wang Ge dared not look at her uncle's face, feeling as if he was about to kill someone. Suddenly, Second Uncle regained his cheerful, almost smug tone. "Finding a guesthouse here is foolish; food and board cost too much! Better to stay at the local post inn."

"It's free?"

"Of course! If the inn tries to charge, we'll report them!"

Half an hour later, the uncle and niece pushed open a room in the inn. The dust that greeted them seemed to shake the earth.

Their faces darkened by at least two shades.

"Ugh! Cough, cough!" Wang Ge was not sick from dust; the courtyard housed both a sauce room and a pigsty, with smells thoroughly fermented. No wonder no other travelers were staying for free.

Wang Erlang, nose assaulted, muttered, "Ge, while it's still light, clean up a bit—I'm going out for air!" He dashed off before finishing his sentence.

Wang Ge shook her head. No choice; they'd have to stay here for a few days. She hurried to tidy up.

Early—so early the night barely faded—Wang Erlang and Wang Ge, both sporting dark circles, took to the streets. The inn's pigs had partied all night; mice chased lizards, lizards hunted spiders—sleep was impossible.

The free breakfast was a wheat cake, at least a third made of bran. The uncle and niece, equally stingy, managed to chew it down.

As day brightened, the streets filled with peddlers and vendors—sellers outnumbered buyers many times over!

Yesterday, they hadn't looked closely; today, they noticed besides woven goods and pottery, there were sellers of sesame oil, fishing nets, farming tools, and more.

Woven goods were mostly rain gear—hats, capes, umbrellas; containers; and miscellaneous items like shoes and hemp rope.

Pottery was mainly stoveware and tableware. Every stall sold a "bu" for storing sauce, the local specialty.

Sweat broke out on Wang Erlang's brow. "Ge, Liu Xiaolang was right. Your peaches and butterflies might not sell."

"Don't worry, Second Uncle. I can weave those practical items too."

"Hmm, I can tell—you most excel at weaving tall tales! If you can make them, why not weave some things for our household?"

"My father wove them all, but Aunt took them back to her mother's home. I'm not wasting my effort for nothing."

"Is that so?"

Wang Ge feigned disdain for her uncle. Wang Erlang, embarrassed, turned to a barrel seller nearby, "Are you joining the artisan exam in two days?"

"Hey! Why are you insulting me?"

The uncle and niece fled the man's angry glare, puzzled at how they'd offended him.

As the sun rose, more vendors hawked raw materials, each with their own style.

"Straw for sale... The same used by Uncle Liu in days past!"

"Brambles for sale... As used by General Lian Po for his apology!"

"Wild rabbits for sale... The very rabbits of ‘three burrows,’ perfect for making savory sauce!"

The pair sidestepped hawkers, rounded a corner, and suddenly the full street scene sprang into view, blocked before by a fabric shop. They stopped, stunned.

Both sides of the street were piled with straw, and in front of each heap sat children—some as young as six or seven, others about Wang Ge's age—all weaving straw sandals.

"So many Liu Xuande, indeed," murmured Wang Ge.

A girl at the nearest stall smiled. "Uncle, Sister, look at my straw sandals—sturdy and comfortable." Then she whispered, "If you like them, I'll give you a pair—just toss me a flower on the exam day."

The uncle and niece were shocked—how unscrupulous! Bribing for votes!

Wang Ge asked, "You're joining the artisan competition so young?"

"Isn't this the age to sign up?"

A boy at the next stall shouted, "Did you just whisper something? Planning to bribe with sandals?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" The girl scolded him, but dared not mention gifts again. She smiled, "Uncle, Sister, try them—my sandals really last. Five measures of grain for a pair, same price all along the street."

Indeed, every stall had standard measure containers.

The stingy pair would never spend grain for sandals, and now understood why the barrel seller was angry. So, it's children who compete for artisan posts?