Wen Wan listened quietly, feeling that the master must be a mischievous old man.
"My master has a peculiar temper; most people don’t get along with him." Song Wei said, "His love for antiques and calligraphy can be described as ’obsessive.’ For an old piece, he would traverse mountains and valleys, days and nights without eating or drinking, just to find ways to acquire it."
Wen Wan blinked and asked Song Wei, since you’re leaving, why not bid farewell to the master?
Song Wei shook his head, "My master least likes to hear about the Capital. If he knows I’m leaving for that reason, he’d be so upset that he wouldn’t even let me in."
Wen Wan understood and didn’t bring it up again.
Afterward, everyone got busy with their tasks.
Song Wei was responsible for preparing the pens, ink, paper, and inkstone needed for studying.
Wen Wan was responsible for packing outfits for both her and her husband. Knowing that the Northern Land is colder in winter than here, she hurriedly made Song Wei a set of clothes with a cotton-stuffed lining.
Song Fang was responsible for preparing dry food that could be stored for a long time.
The three people who were about to go to Beijing had clearly defined tasks and completed everything within a few days.
Xie Zheng was true to his word and indeed invited Song Wei for a drink alone before his departure, without going far, just within the town.
At the table, Xie Zheng personally poured wine for Song Wei and sighed, "Once you leave, it will take nearly a year to return."
Song Wei raised his glass, his eyes somewhat playful, "What, you can’t bear to part with me?"
"Who cares about you?" Xie Zheng poured himself more wine and sat down, "I only regret that I have to wait another year to see you shine at the Imperial Examination Hall in the province, thinking this wait is quite long."
For Song Wei, every exam was a hurdle.
Whether he could smoothly enter the exam hall was uncertain; he didn’t want to dwell on how well he might perform, so he didn’t expend much effort discussing that matter, shifting the topic: "Or you should return to the county school to study for another year. If the county school is inaccessible, find a private academy; the provincial exams are next year, and I don’t want you to wait in vain for three years."
Before Xie Zheng could respond, Song Wei added, "This morning, I gave Aunt Xie a sum of silver, consider it a loan from you, remember to repay it in the future, and add the interest, if overdue, I’ll charge compound interest."
The first half of the sentence, Xie Zheng was quite touched, but the latter half, Song Wei used the words "compound interest," made Xie Zheng choke on his drink, coughing so hard his face turned red. Taking advantage of Song Wei not noticing, he picked up the wine pot and filled Song Wei’s glass, forcing him to drink.
Xie Zheng originally planned to get Song Wei drunk and then play a prank on him, unexpectedly, Song Wei’s tolerance for alcohol was good, and he lost out, ending drunk himself, supported by Song Wei all the way back, throwing up many times, his gentlemanly image ruined.
The buyer of the Golden Star Inkstone was a wealthy man fond of collecting, he offered a round number, a thousand taels.
Originally the item used by the Grand Ancestor was worth more than that, but Song Wei was eager to sell, so he had no choice but to lower the price.
However, this amount was already significant for him.
What is the concept of a thousand taels in this era?
Excluding various subsidies and official salaries, a Minister of the First Rank’s annual salary barely exceeded five hundred taels.
In the countryside, twenty taels of silver could build a spacious and grand mansion, under the Emperor’s feet in the Capital, an ordinary alley courtyard could be acquired for over two hundred taels.
A thousand taels, equivalent to Song Wei being able to buy three courtyard houses in the Capital, or, if he wanted detached mansions, two of them.
A hundred taels went to Aunt Xie’s house, and Song Wei wanted to leave a hundred taels at home for his parents in case of emergency.
Granny Song accepted it without a word, went to the inner room, and returned with her savings accumulated over the years, combined with Song Wei’s previous hundred taels, roughly totaling one hundred forty-five taels.
Seeing Song Wei reluctant to accept, Granny Song glared at him, "You’re giving it to me as a tribute, it’s my money. If I give it to you again, it’s a different thing. Hurry and take it; it’s not for you, it’s for my unborn grandson as a red envelope. If I don’t see a grandson when you return next year, you’ll repay every penny, including interest."