AZI Volume 5 Chapter 48.5 Intermission – White Flute

In a rural village, it's rather common for the smartest young man to be sent off to the capital of the nearest empire.

There, the young man would undertake the civil-service exam, and should they end up passing the exam—to become a member of the bureaucracy, it's traditional that the young man would pay the villagers back with interest for the wealth that they had donated to send him to the capital. 

Hailing from a village of this nature was a young man named Cuó Qīng Yī, and at the capital of the Dānqīng Empire—

"…"

Maintaining a frown on his face, Cuo Qing Yi looks at the tall figure standing in front of himself. 

"…"

"…"

Standing to the rear of Cuo Qing Yi were two soldiers, both of whom had a hand resting on the handle of their sword. 

With a soldier standing on each side of the tall figure—who is dressed in an impressive set of lamellar armor, the individual is a general of the Danqing Empire. 

"…"

Towards Cuo Qing Yi, the general—commonly referred to as General Li, presses a pouch of taels forward. 

As Cuo Qing Yi receives the pouch, General Li says—

"Your understanding is appreciated."

"…"

Not saying anything back, Cuo Qing Yi turns around, and leaves the palace's front gates. 

Despite having passed the exam, Cuo Qing Yi wasn't given the status of a bureaucrat because his social status was lower than the general's son. 

"…"

Having distanced himself far enough away from the palace's front gates, Cuo Qing Yi opens the pouch, and looks inside. 

(This is consolation money? …I guess I was expecting too much?)

A total of nine silver taels and 50 copper taels, barely enough money to feed a grown man for two weeks, and nowhere near enough for Cuo Qing Yi to pay back the villagers, who had raised the funds to get him into the capital. 

(…If I head back like this, my parents and the other villagers...… Them being peeved at me aside, I really don't have the face to see them.)

In terms of effort, Cuo Qing Yi had done all that he could, but ultimately, social status was the deciding factor. In the end, one could only say that he was simply unlucky to be taking the exam with a general's son. 

(…Because of this misfortunate, the village won't be able to send another person to the capital for the next five or so years. Ah… If I told my father that it's because of my social status that I didn't get the position, would he take that as me indirectly insulting him for being a farmer, and it's because he's a farmer that I couldn't be someone more impressive?)

Imagining himself receiving a beating for saying this to his father's face, Cuo Qing Yi twitches an eye. 

*Guguuguu…* 

"…"

As his stomach begins to growl, Cuo Qing Yi raises a frown, and presses his abdomen. 

"Steamed buns! Fresh and hot, ready to eat! Five for three copper taels!"

"Chicken skewers! Three for two copper taels!"

"…"

Glancing at the food stalls that lined the streets, Cuo Qing Yi heaves a sigh. 

Rather quickly, he decides to purchase five steamed buns to fill his stomach. 

Munching on a steamed bun, Cuo Qing Yi continues to walk down the road, while thinking—

(For now, I guess I'll try and find myself a job first—just to give myself some time to think? Maybe if I work a few years, I can save up enough to pay everyone back? At the very least, I want to return the amount that I had borrowed. As for interest…)

Thinking up to here, Cuo Qing Yi raises a heavy sigh—hoping that the villagers would just take pity on him and forget it. 

Up ahead—

"Sir, would you like to buy something?"

A young woman seated herself on a straw mat, and repeated this question towards the moving crowd. 

"Mother, I'm hungry."

Seated beside the young woman is a child dressed in a similar set of faded robes as the former. 

And towards her child's remark, the young mother replies—

"…Sorry, you'll have to wait a bit."

"…Okay."

Twitching an eye towards the young mother and child, Cuo Qing Yi raises another sigh. 

(What am I doing?)

Finding himself standing in front of the straw mat in the next instance, Cuo Qing Yi browsed at the items, while the young mother asks—

"Sir, would you like to buy something?"

"Hmm."

A copper bracelet, a hand mirror, a fan, all the items that are displayed are somewhat high in quality, causing Cuo Qing Yi to think—

(This…-? Is this the situation where the man of the household decided to abscond for whatever reason—leaving his wife and child behind?)

Believing that it might be rude to ask about their circumstances, Cuo Qing Yi maintains his silence, and eventually, his eyes drift over to a flute.

The entirety of the flute is about 25 inches in length, and the body seems to have been carved from white jade. Decorating it is a crimson tassel. 

Drawn to the flute, Cuo Qing Yi asks—

"How much for the flute?"

"My hus…- Former husband brought it for five golden taels, so…-"

Pausing here, the young mother glances at her child, and raising a sigh, she says—

"Dear guest, however much you're willing to pay for it I suppose."

"Ah…"

Twitching his lips, Cuo Qing Yi takes out five silver taels. 

Reluctantly dropping them into the bowl in front of the young mother, Cuo Qing Yi picks up the white flute.

"Thank you. Ah Xiao, thank the young man as well."

At the urging of her mother, the child bows her head, and says—

"Thank you, big brother."

"Un."

Deciding to leave quickly before he regrets it, Cuo Qing Yi turns around, and disappears into the crowd, while thinking—

(Deciding to buy a flute for five silver taels under these circumstances, I must have gone insane…)