Surviving the Darkest Hour, Fortune and Career Climb Steadily

Wang Youling’s good seeds have already bloomed—can Hu Xueyan’s "spring" be far behind? At this moment, the situation is like mountain slopes covered with buds ready to burst, and tender shoots pushing through the soil underground. The compelling episodes in these two men’s lives are unfolding one after another.

I. Hu Xueyan: A Lifeline in Desperation, Securing a Stable Footing First

After fainting in Huzhou, Hu Xueyan was soon rescued by a passing courtesan. While he was recovering, the woman noticed his exquisite abacus skills and flexible way of handling matters. She then recommended him to her employer, helping him land a job as an odd-job worker in the shop. Though the pay was not as good as when he worked as a "runner" (a bank errand boy) at the bank before, he at least had a stable job—and finally pulled himself out of the desperate situation of "begging for food."

II. Wang Youling: Good Seeds Bear Fruit, a Smooth Path in Officialdom

On the other side, Wang Youling rushed back to Hangzhou on horseback with He Guiqing’s confidential letter and went straight to the governor’s yamen (government office). The secretary, seeing it was a confidential letter from the capital, did not dare to delay—but still "acted a step too slow." After reading the letter, the governor angrily rebuked him: "Why did you make Master Wang wait outside? Do you know who he is!"

When Wang Youling entered the room, the governor stepped forward personally, clasped his fists in greeting, and offered him a seat. Finally, he spoke sincerely: "The post of Zhejiang Salt Commissioner is a tough assignment. Why not first take the position of Grain Office Manager in the governor’s yamen? Though it is not a regular official post, it is already a substantive vacancy. I will keep an eye out for better opportunities for you later." This was equivalent to directly entering "provincial-level government agencies"—a clear sign of just how powerful the fruit of good seeds can be.

Wang Youling was eager to repay kindness. After leaving the yamen, he changed into his official robes, took a sedan chair, and went straight to the Hu family’s home. Unlike the last time, when Snail Girl’s father had caused a scene, the neighbors no longer gossiped; instead, they gathered around to watch and praise him. Hu’s mother was shocked and skeptical when she opened the door. Wang Youling immediately knelt down and said: "Auntie, I am Wang Youling! Back then, Xueyan saved me, and you even cooked rice wine with poached eggs for me. You and Xueyan gave me a second life!" After speaking, he left some silver to improve the Hu family’s living conditions, then hurried off to find Hu Xueyan.

III. The Reunion of Brothers: An "Unexpected Meeting" in a Huzhou Tavern

Fate often arrives unannounced. Wang Youling went to Huzhou on official business, and the prefect of Huzhou held a welcome feast for him. To curry favor, the tavern owner said he would invite an "odd-job worker who can pour water from a distance" to perform a trick.

The odd-job worker—who was none other than Hu Xueyan—stepped forward at the call. He waved a long-spouted brass teapot skillfully, putting on a wonderful show. But just as he was about to pour water for Wang Youling, he suddenly froze. The brass teapot fell to the ground with a "clatter," and water splashed onto Wang Youling’s official robes. While everyone scrambled to fix the mess, Wang Youling’s eyes filled with tears, and he shouted three words at the top of his voice: "Brother Xueyan!"

Reunited after a long separation, the two hugged and cried, chatting all night. Wang Youling immediately made arrangements: "Take these 500 taels. Tomorrow, I will take you back to Hangzhou to clear your bad name at Kaitai Bank. I am short of people for the Grain Office Manager position—you can come help me directly!" Hu Xueyan’s future was thus revitalized.

IV. Breaking the Deadlock of Canal Grain Transportation: Good Seeds Burst Forth, Problems Solved Smoothly

Shortly after they started working together, a major task came their way: the Taiping Rebellion was advancing north, and many cities in the Jiangnan region had fallen. The Ministry of Revenue issued an order for Zhejiang to transport 100,000 dan (a traditional Chinese unit of weight, approximately 50kg per dan) of grain to the capital by sea—and this task fell to Wang Youling.

Yet difficulties loomed: the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was in disrepair, so water transportation was interrupted. Taking the sea route, on the other hand, risked accidents amid the chaos of war—with no guarantee of meeting the deadline or ensuring safety. Just as Wang Youling was worrying, Hu Xueyan put forward a new idea: "We don’t need to take a single grain of rice from here to Shanghai, but we can still get the grain to the capital—and even make a profit from the price difference!"

Wang Youling looked puzzled, so Hu Xueyan explained: "We’ll take enough banknotes to Shanghai to buy rice, then load it directly onto ships and transport it to the capital. Then we’ll sell the canal grain that Zhejiang originally planned to transport, and use the money from that sale to repay the banknotes. What the court wants is grain—so long as we can deliver it, using special methods in special times is acceptable!" After thinking it over, Wang Youling agreed this was indeed the most suitable approach at the time.

But a new problem emerged: where to get the money to buy 100,000 dan of rice? The Zhejiang Provincial Finance Department only had canal grain, no cash. Hu Xueyan offered another solution: "Cooperate with banks—use their bank drafts to withdraw money in Shanghai. It’s equivalent to borrowing money from Zhejiang’s local banks first, then exchanging the bank drafts for silver to buy rice."

Yet a third obstacle stood in their way: amid the chaos of war, which bank would dare to lend such a large sum? This time, it was once again time to rely on the power of "good seeds" to break the deadlock...