Joy of Life - V1C13
Prologue: Nice Guys Finish Last
1- A Child of the Tanmai
2- The Truman Show
3- The Legacy Book
4- Studies and Ghost Stories
5- The Noctural Visitor
6- Master Wu Zhu
7- Master Fei Jie
8- One Year Later...
9- Grandmasters and Divine Temple
10- Overpowering Bàdào Zhenqi
11- The Sea Salt Merchant
12- Farewell for now, Master Fei Jie
13- Mail Order and Newspapers
14- It Hurts Like Hell!
15- Housekeeper Zhou
16- Ay-ya-ya-yaaa
17- The Three Goals
18- The Attempted Poisoning
19- The Assassin
20- Clean Up After Yourself!
Chapter 13
Mail Order and Newspapers
He was now twelve years old, and time seemed to drag on in Danzhou, so any novelty was a welcome distraction from his boredom.
The sky above Danzhou City suddenly darkened, with thick, heavy clouds looming over the residents, resembling damp, dirty wool or even burnt cotton candy. The locals, accustomed to the weather, knew that rain was still some time away, so there was no cause for alarm. This situation was different from previous years, when the weather was more unpredictable. Back then, the dashing illegitimate son of Count Sinan could frequently be heard calling out from neighboring rooftops, advising the entire city, “It’s going to rain; bring in your laundry!”
The main street in Danzhou buzzed with food vendors and trinket sellers. Spotting a handsome boy in the crowd, one of the merchants tried to strike up a conversation. “Young Master Fan, why don’t you warn us to bring in the laundry anymore?”
Fan Xian smiled but said nothing, holding his maid’s hand in one and a piece of tofu in the other.
No one was surprised by his kindness toward the servants. Everyone knew that the illegitimate son of Count Sinan was different from other noble children; he genuinely enjoyed helping those under his care.
Since Fei Jie left Danzhou, Fan Xian had matured into a charming young teenager who exuded reliability. Though he appeared youthful, in reality, he felt like a middle-aged man of forty due to the experiences he had accumulated from his previous and current lives.
Once back at home, he handed the tofu to the servants before greeting the Old Mistress and picking up a piece of paper beside her. He returned to his study, placing a letter from his younger sister next to the paper on his desk, and his expression brightened immediately.
That year, the Emperor of the Qing Empire unexpectedly changed the title and year of his reign to reflect the nation's name. Although civil servants publicly seemed to accept this change, they complained privately when they thought no one was listening. Whether they worked in the Ministry of Education or were scholars used to a diet of congee, regardless of their stance on the new language or old traditions, everyone had to pay the Eighth Bureau of the Overwatch Council to review their reports. Disgruntled elder scholars heavily critiqued this new development.
The change in the reign title was part of the Emperor's plan, alongside the implementation of new laws that, while hardly innovative, simply reorganized existing regulations. The public only found a refreshing element in the introduction of newspapers at the beginning of the new year.
What exactly were these newspapers? No one seemed to know until the first issue was released, prompting a unified “Oh” that quickly squashed any further public interest. These newspapers were issued by the imperial palace, which mandated the Emperor's approval for each edition before release, effectively censoring any content that could spark controversy.
Subsequent issues were sold for a silver coin each, attracting buyers intrigued by their novelty. Some higher-ranking individuals began to suspect that it was all part of the Emperor's scheme, who might be planning a new garden.
The thin papers contained trivial information ranging from landmarks to historical figures. However, the highlight consisted of articles about the personal lives of government officials, including how a general was beaten by his wife or why the Commander of Defence in the capital was missing a tooth.
There were also articles about their neighbors, the Qi Empire and Dongyi, but government officials focused more on their own circles. Initially amused, the officials soon felt embarrassed when they found themselves featured in the newspapers. Aware of the Emperor's involvement, no one dared voice any complaints.
The newspapers were produced in limited quantities; the entire city of Danzhou had only two copies, one of which was found in Count Sinan’s villa.
The piece of paper Fan Xian had taken from his grandmother’s room was the much-discussed newspaper. After quickly scanning it, Fan Xian couldn't help but grimace; he felt like sticking his entire fist in his mouth. What kind of era was this? Tabloid newspapers? And ordered by the Emperor, no less!
The new “mail order” law enacted by the imperial family allowed the brother-sister duo to send letters to each other secretly. Fan Xian frowned as he looked at the newspaper. For some time, he had heard discussions about the new laws, which, in his opinion, were pure nonsense from the Emperor. Still, everyone knew that the Emperor was not someone to oppose.
Fan Xian was not inclined to change the world. Initially uninterested, he became curious as this new world started to resemble his own, and he wanted to understand how things operated behind the scenes.
After much reflection, Fan Xian still hadn’t gotten to the bottom of the situation. Smiling wryly, he pushed the paper aside, thinking self-deprecatingly that perhaps someone else with grander ambitions had also traveled to this world.
Nevertheless, these matters were of little relevance to him. The letter next to the newspaper was of much greater importance.
RuoRuo was his half-sister, and they spent some time in Danzhou during their childhood. His poor little sister was weak and unremarkable compared to his own lovely appearance. When she arrived at the estate, she started to follow him everywhere. Because she was sweet and not whiny like most kids, he didn’t mind keeping her by his side most of the time. Over time, he truly came to think of her as a little sister.
They had not seen each other for many years, and Fan Xian wondered what she looked like now. Had her sparse blonde hair darkened? Had she become prettier? What was her life at their father’s estate?
“I am such an incompetent brother,” Fan Xian thought, feeling guilty for not caring enough for his sister. Despite his soul having experienced two different lives, he was still connected to her by blood through this body. When RuoRuo began school a few years ago, she often wrote letters to Danzhou. In contrast, Fan Xian hardly replied, as he was too busy undergoing Wu Zhu’s relentless training, practicing his daily Bàdào Zhenqi, and reviewing the poisons book left by Fei Jie.
RuoRuo, who had just turned ten, was extremely dependent on her distant brother and frequently sent him letters for no apparent reason. Perhaps it was due to the horror stories they shared in their childhood that lingered in her mind. At first, she mostly wrote about how she missed their grandmother and her memories of Danzhou. However, over the past six months, her letters mainly focused on her monotonous days at the estate in the capital and rarely mentioned their home in Danzhou.
Fan Xian lightly brushed the letter with his fingertips, and concern etched across his pretty face.
The paper bore his sister’s delicate handwriting. She had recently written about her life in the capital and how she had been accepted into a school for aristocratic ladies as if this were the natural path for someone like her.
Her letters showed that RuoRuo was dealing with troubling issues that were unexpected for someone her age. He remembered that after the head wife died, the woman who had given birth to a son became increasingly arrogant in the capital. With Count Sinan occupied with his official duties, RuoRuo often found herself alone. Perhaps she was facing some difficulties in her daily life.
Fan Xian paused to pick up the brush, prepared the ink, and dipped the tip into it before writing his reply. In his letter, he subtly advised his sister to spend as much time as possible with Count Sinan and to behave charmingly. He suggested that she not openly complain but occasionally let her hidden bitterness show.
Secondly, he emphasized that she must stand her ground against that woman and her spoiled younger brother. As the saying goes, people will take advantage of you if you are too kind. If RuoRuo didn’t want to be treated unfairly, she needed to show her willingness to defend herself.
Thirdly, she needed to be kind to the household servants, especially Count Sinan’s advisor. She should observe him with a pure and innocent gaze, even as he displayed monotonous methods.
Finally, she should find subtle ways to offend the female master in the capital and bear the consequences for a while. She could then seek a way to inform the male master about it. Any man would feel a strange desire to protect, especially when it involves his own young daughter. Her status was still a concubine even if Count Sinan allowed her to act like a wife and she did not have to call her “mother”[i]. In such a scenario, Count Sinan would undoubtedly remember the daughter his late head wife left behind.
However, there were limits to these methods, as Fan Xian hinted in his letter. He was unsure if this tactic, inspired by the romance novels he had read in his previous life, would be effective, but he believed that if RuoRuo were clever enough, she would figure it out.
After sending the letter, he eagerly awaited her response, worried that he might inadvertently cause trouble for the ten-year-old girl.
Two months later, Fan Xian received a letter from his younger sister, RuoRuo. From her words, he could tell that she had been happy recently. He wondered whether this happiness resulted from his suggestions or if there had never been any incidents of mistreatment in the capital, to begin with. In her letter, RuoRuo asked why it was important to treat servants kindly. Fan Xian realized that not everyone is considered equal in a hierarchical feudal society. He shared a few anecdotes in response to her question, explaining that kindness benefits others and oneself.
Initially, Fan Xian had planned to copy down some stories from the “Decameron[ii]” and send them along with his reply. In his previous life, he remembered critics praising Giovanni Boccaccio for glorifying romance and equality between men and women. However, after some thought, Fan Xian decided against this idea, recalling that many stories in the “Decameron” included adult content.
This exchange was a small but enlightening episode during Fan Xian’s free time, and his concern for his sister's well-being in the capital became one of the highlights of his monotonous life.
Though RuoRuo was very young, she knew that her Big Brother in Danzhou was no ordinary child. Their correspondence revealed that Fan Xian was gradually influencing her. Her vocabulary became noticeably more mature than that of other girls her age, and she began to notice subtle changes in the world around her under his influence. Her maturity developed more quickly under her brother's tutelage. He quickly became her confidant, but very soon a teacher-disciple relationship started to unfold between them.
As seasons passed—kites in spring, fish in summer, bluebirds in autumn, and geese in winter—the siblings continued to exchange letters.
The sky above Danzhou City suddenly darkened, with thick, heavy clouds looming over the residents, resembling damp, dirty wool or even burnt cotton candy. The locals, accustomed to the weather, knew that rain was still some time away, so there was no cause for alarm. This situation was different from previous years, when the weather was more unpredictable. Back then, the dashing illegitimate son of Count Sinan could frequently be heard calling out from neighboring rooftops, advising the entire city, “It’s going to rain; bring in your laundry!”
The main street in Danzhou buzzed with food vendors and trinket sellers. Spotting a handsome boy in the crowd, one of the merchants tried to strike up a conversation. “Young Master Fan, why don’t you warn us to bring in the laundry anymore?”
Fan Xian smiled but said nothing, holding his maid’s hand in one and a piece of tofu in the other.
No one was surprised by his kindness toward the servants. Everyone knew that the illegitimate son of Count Sinan was different from other noble children; he genuinely enjoyed helping those under his care.
Since Fei Jie left Danzhou, Fan Xian had matured into a charming young teenager who exuded reliability. Though he appeared youthful, in reality, he felt like a middle-aged man of forty due to the experiences he had accumulated from his previous and current lives.
Once back at home, he handed the tofu to the servants before greeting the Old Mistress and picking up a piece of paper beside her. He returned to his study, placing a letter from his younger sister next to the paper on his desk, and his expression brightened immediately.
That year, the Emperor of the Qing Empire unexpectedly changed the title and year of his reign to reflect the nation's name. Although civil servants publicly seemed to accept this change, they complained privately when they thought no one was listening. Whether they worked in the Ministry of Education or were scholars used to a diet of congee, regardless of their stance on the new language or old traditions, everyone had to pay the Eighth Bureau of the Overwatch Council to review their reports. Disgruntled elder scholars heavily critiqued this new development.
The change in the reign title was part of the Emperor's plan, alongside the implementation of new laws that, while hardly innovative, simply reorganized existing regulations. The public only found a refreshing element in the introduction of newspapers at the beginning of the new year.
What exactly were these newspapers? No one seemed to know until the first issue was released, prompting a unified “Oh” that quickly squashed any further public interest. These newspapers were issued by the imperial palace, which mandated the Emperor's approval for each edition before release, effectively censoring any content that could spark controversy.
Subsequent issues were sold for a silver coin each, attracting buyers intrigued by their novelty. Some higher-ranking individuals began to suspect that it was all part of the Emperor's scheme, who might be planning a new garden.
The thin papers contained trivial information ranging from landmarks to historical figures. However, the highlight consisted of articles about the personal lives of government officials, including how a general was beaten by his wife or why the Commander of Defence in the capital was missing a tooth.
There were also articles about their neighbors, the Qi Empire and Dongyi, but government officials focused more on their own circles. Initially amused, the officials soon felt embarrassed when they found themselves featured in the newspapers. Aware of the Emperor's involvement, no one dared voice any complaints.
The newspapers were produced in limited quantities; the entire city of Danzhou had only two copies, one of which was found in Count Sinan’s villa.
The piece of paper Fan Xian had taken from his grandmother’s room was the much-discussed newspaper. After quickly scanning it, Fan Xian couldn't help but grimace; he felt like sticking his entire fist in his mouth. What kind of era was this? Tabloid newspapers? And ordered by the Emperor, no less!
The new “mail order” law enacted by the imperial family allowed the brother-sister duo to send letters to each other secretly. Fan Xian frowned as he looked at the newspaper. For some time, he had heard discussions about the new laws, which, in his opinion, were pure nonsense from the Emperor. Still, everyone knew that the Emperor was not someone to oppose.
Fan Xian was not inclined to change the world. Initially uninterested, he became curious as this new world started to resemble his own, and he wanted to understand how things operated behind the scenes.
After much reflection, Fan Xian still hadn’t gotten to the bottom of the situation. Smiling wryly, he pushed the paper aside, thinking self-deprecatingly that perhaps someone else with grander ambitions had also traveled to this world.
Nevertheless, these matters were of little relevance to him. The letter next to the newspaper was of much greater importance.
RuoRuo was his half-sister, and they spent some time in Danzhou during their childhood. His poor little sister was weak and unremarkable compared to his own lovely appearance. When she arrived at the estate, she started to follow him everywhere. Because she was sweet and not whiny like most kids, he didn’t mind keeping her by his side most of the time. Over time, he truly came to think of her as a little sister.
They had not seen each other for many years, and Fan Xian wondered what she looked like now. Had her sparse blonde hair darkened? Had she become prettier? What was her life at their father’s estate?
“I am such an incompetent brother,” Fan Xian thought, feeling guilty for not caring enough for his sister. Despite his soul having experienced two different lives, he was still connected to her by blood through this body. When RuoRuo began school a few years ago, she often wrote letters to Danzhou. In contrast, Fan Xian hardly replied, as he was too busy undergoing Wu Zhu’s relentless training, practicing his daily Bàdào Zhenqi, and reviewing the poisons book left by Fei Jie.
RuoRuo, who had just turned ten, was extremely dependent on her distant brother and frequently sent him letters for no apparent reason. Perhaps it was due to the horror stories they shared in their childhood that lingered in her mind. At first, she mostly wrote about how she missed their grandmother and her memories of Danzhou. However, over the past six months, her letters mainly focused on her monotonous days at the estate in the capital and rarely mentioned their home in Danzhou.
Fan Xian lightly brushed the letter with his fingertips, and concern etched across his pretty face.
The paper bore his sister’s delicate handwriting. She had recently written about her life in the capital and how she had been accepted into a school for aristocratic ladies as if this were the natural path for someone like her.
Her letters showed that RuoRuo was dealing with troubling issues that were unexpected for someone her age. He remembered that after the head wife died, the woman who had given birth to a son became increasingly arrogant in the capital. With Count Sinan occupied with his official duties, RuoRuo often found herself alone. Perhaps she was facing some difficulties in her daily life.
Fan Xian paused to pick up the brush, prepared the ink, and dipped the tip into it before writing his reply. In his letter, he subtly advised his sister to spend as much time as possible with Count Sinan and to behave charmingly. He suggested that she not openly complain but occasionally let her hidden bitterness show.
Secondly, he emphasized that she must stand her ground against that woman and her spoiled younger brother. As the saying goes, people will take advantage of you if you are too kind. If RuoRuo didn’t want to be treated unfairly, she needed to show her willingness to defend herself.
Thirdly, she needed to be kind to the household servants, especially Count Sinan’s advisor. She should observe him with a pure and innocent gaze, even as he displayed monotonous methods.
Finally, she should find subtle ways to offend the female master in the capital and bear the consequences for a while. She could then seek a way to inform the male master about it. Any man would feel a strange desire to protect, especially when it involves his own young daughter. Her status was still a concubine even if Count Sinan allowed her to act like a wife and she did not have to call her “mother”[i]. In such a scenario, Count Sinan would undoubtedly remember the daughter his late head wife left behind.
However, there were limits to these methods, as Fan Xian hinted in his letter. He was unsure if this tactic, inspired by the romance novels he had read in his previous life, would be effective, but he believed that if RuoRuo were clever enough, she would figure it out.
After sending the letter, he eagerly awaited her response, worried that he might inadvertently cause trouble for the ten-year-old girl.
Two months later, Fan Xian received a letter from his younger sister, RuoRuo. From her words, he could tell that she had been happy recently. He wondered whether this happiness resulted from his suggestions or if there had never been any incidents of mistreatment in the capital, to begin with. In her letter, RuoRuo asked why it was important to treat servants kindly. Fan Xian realized that not everyone is considered equal in a hierarchical feudal society. He shared a few anecdotes in response to her question, explaining that kindness benefits others and oneself.
Initially, Fan Xian had planned to copy down some stories from the “Decameron[ii]” and send them along with his reply. In his previous life, he remembered critics praising Giovanni Boccaccio for glorifying romance and equality between men and women. However, after some thought, Fan Xian decided against this idea, recalling that many stories in the “Decameron” included adult content.
This exchange was a small but enlightening episode during Fan Xian’s free time, and his concern for his sister's well-being in the capital became one of the highlights of his monotonous life.
Though RuoRuo was very young, she knew that her Big Brother in Danzhou was no ordinary child. Their correspondence revealed that Fan Xian was gradually influencing her. Her vocabulary became noticeably more mature than that of other girls her age, and she began to notice subtle changes in the world around her under his influence. Her maturity developed more quickly under her brother's tutelage. He quickly became her confidant, but very soon a teacher-disciple relationship started to unfold between them.
As seasons passed—kites in spring, fish in summer, bluebirds in autumn, and geese in winter—the siblings continued to exchange letters.
[i] Chinese hierarchy and filial piety are important and complex aspects of Chinese society, with many rules to follow. Concubines, wives, and children all have their specific positions inside the family and society, duties, and titles. In ancient China, a concubine held a much lower, quasi-servant status compared to the legitimate wife, serving mainly to produce heirs. While children of concubines were legitimate family members, they held a lower status than the wife's children, with inheritance rights prioritized for the latter. However, genres made a big difference. Society would condemn a concubine taking care of a household.
In "Joy of Life," the author creatively departs from societal norms regarding marriage and family structure. After the death of a nobleman's wife, it is customary for him to remarry and take concubines to ensure male heirs, with the concubine holding little authority. The portrayal of a concubine acting as a wife contradicts these norms, although her son is accurately depicted as the heir. Fan Xian, born out of wedlock, is not acknowledged as an heir in the Fan ancestral hall, making his title "Young Master" inappropriate. Additionally, Ruo Ruo, being too young, cannot manage the household.
[ii] Also nicknamed l'Umana commedia ("the Human comedy") is a collection of short stories by the 14th-century Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375 CE). The book is structured as a story frame, containing 100 tales told by seven young women and three young men who sheltered in a secluded villa just outside Florence to escape the Black Death, which was afflicting the city. Boccaccio probably conceived of the Decameron after the epidemic of 1348, and completed it by 1353. The various tales of love in The Decameron range from the erotic to the tragic. Tales of wit, practical jokes, and life lessons contribute to the mosaic.
In "Joy of Life," the author creatively departs from societal norms regarding marriage and family structure. After the death of a nobleman's wife, it is customary for him to remarry and take concubines to ensure male heirs, with the concubine holding little authority. The portrayal of a concubine acting as a wife contradicts these norms, although her son is accurately depicted as the heir. Fan Xian, born out of wedlock, is not acknowledged as an heir in the Fan ancestral hall, making his title "Young Master" inappropriate. Additionally, Ruo Ruo, being too young, cannot manage the household.
[ii] Also nicknamed l'Umana commedia ("the Human comedy") is a collection of short stories by the 14th-century Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375 CE). The book is structured as a story frame, containing 100 tales told by seven young women and three young men who sheltered in a secluded villa just outside Florence to escape the Black Death, which was afflicting the city. Boccaccio probably conceived of the Decameron after the epidemic of 1348, and completed it by 1353. The various tales of love in The Decameron range from the erotic to the tragic. Tales of wit, practical jokes, and life lessons contribute to the mosaic.
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