Shen Linchuan knew where Ye Jinglan lived. His older brother and sister-in-law didn’t take kindly to him, so he spent the Mid-Autumn Festival at the academy. Luo Qingshan went there with him that evening as well; since the two families lived close by, he was there on his own.

The most eye-catching item at the flower-viewing banquet was a jar of imperial chrysanthemum wine—the most precious of all the prizes—which drew quite a crowd eager to compete. Shen Linchuan was also intrigued. “Why don’t we give it a try and see if we can win that jar of imperial chrysanthemum wine?”         

“Sure! I’ll go first.” Xu Zhifan was the first to push his way over.

Several of them knew how to shoot a bow, though their skills varied. Shen Linchuan had initially learned archery from his father, Zhou Da, and his Fulang knew how to shoot as well, so they could all enjoy the activity together.

Shen Linchuan handed his bow and arrows to Zhou Ning. “Give it a try. Xu Zhifan isn’t as accurate as you.”

Xu Zhifan turned his head defiantly. “Who says that? Zhou Fulang, let’s not go easy on each other—come on!”

Each had five arrows. Zhou Ning raised his hand and fired—his arrows hit the bullseye steadily, landing four hits, while Xu Zhifan, standing nearby, only hit three. Zhou Ning smiled as he stopped shooting, having hit four.

Xu Zhifan let out an “Ouch! It’s all that gust of wind’s fault—that’s why I lost my aim.”

Shen Linchuan mercilessly called him out, “Stop making excuses—your archery isn’t even as good as my Fulang’s.”

Laughter rang out all around; the archery range was quite lively. Who wouldn’t want to taste the imperial chrysanthemum wine? Even just taking a jar home to display would be a tremendous honor.

“That jar of wine is mine.”

Sun Shiping strode over with a swagger. That was an imperial jar of wine, after all. Sun Shiping’s archery skills were among the best at Bailu Academy, and he was determined to win that jar—taking it home would be such a source of pride.

Xu Zhifan rolled his eyes. “Who says it’s yours?”

Although Sun Shiping wasn’t very good at his studies, he’d always taken pride in his archery. Since Shen Linchuan’s Fulang was just messing around, Sun Shiping grinned with a touch of mockery. “Shen Linchuan’s Fulang, if you lose to me in a bit, don’t go crying.”

Zhou Ning shot Sun Shiping a glance, then simply handed the bow and arrow he was holding to Zhou Da, who was standing nearby. “Father, you take a shot.” Zhou Da waved his hands repeatedly. “Oh, you guys go ahead. I’ll just watch.”

“Father, give it a try. I’ve never even tasted the imperial chrysanthemum wine. Maybe if you hit the target, we can drink it while we admire the moon tonight,” Shen Linchuan urged from the sidelines.

Only then did Zhou Da take the bow and arrow. “All right, I’ll give it a try.”

Sun Shiping glanced at Zhou Da—Shen Linchuan’s father, after all. It would be just as satisfying to make Shen Linchuan’s father lose face.

Shen Linchuan’s archery wasn’t bad either, but after all, he’d only been practicing for a little over a year. The best shot in his family was his father. Since Sun Shiping wanted to compete, he might as well have a contest with his father.

Zhou Da’s aim was excellent; he hit the bullseye every time. Sun Shiping wasn’t bad either—he hit the bullseye with ease as well. Xu Zhifan clapped his hands enthusiastically from the sidelines. “Uncle Zhou is amazing!”

Zhou Da smiled sheepishly. “Not bad, not bad.”

After several rounds, only Zhou Da and Sun Shiping remained on the field. Sun Shiping took the greatest pride in his archery—no one at Bailu Academy could match him. Now, finding himself locked in a back-and-forth contest with a country butcher, Sun Shiping felt his pride was on the line.

The archery contest had drawn quite a crowd. Sun Shiping had taken first place in the public examinations for archery, yet now he was locked in a neck-and-neck contest with a middle-aged man.

Even the Chancellor and his entourage had come to watch. The instructor teaching archery nearby clapped his hands. “Excellent! Truly, there are always greater heights to reach and more talented people out there—even someone from an ordinary family possesses such remarkable archery skills.”

Sun Shiping heard this praise clearly. “Just a pig butcher,” he thought to himself, feeling even more resentment and frustration toward Zhou Da, who was standing nearby.

After several rounds of competition, only Zhou Da and Sun Shiping remained. Xu Zhifan raised his hand to cheer them on, “Uncle Zhou is amazing! Uncle Zhou is mighty! That Chrysanthemum Wine is ours for the taking!”

Zhou Da chuckled, “Alright, bring it over so everyone can have a taste later.”       

“It’s not over yet—how do you know the Chrysanthemum Wine is yours? I’m not going to let you have your way!”

Sun Shiping raised his hand and fired an arrow. In the final round of ten arrows, Sun Shiping hit the target one after another, and Zhou Da wasn’t about to be outdone—he hit all ten as well. Cheers erupted all around; it was a tie.

Zhou Da stopped shooting. “Young master, why don’t we split it fifty-fifty?”

Although the wine was precious, it was just a prize—everyone was just having a good time.

Sun Shiping, of course, refused. “My older brother has been admitted to the Hanlin Academy—he’s a disciple of the Emperor himself. I won’t give up that wine!”

“What?” Zhou Da didn’t want to quibble with a junior. “Then I’ll let you have it.”   

“What do you mean ‘let me have it’? I won that Chrysanthemum Wine myself!”

Xu Zhifan argued, “You tied with Zhou Da—what gives you the right to claim that chrysanthemum wine is yours?”

Zhou Da didn’t want to get into an argument, so he said to Shen Linchuan, “Come on, let’s go check out somewhere else. Forget about that chrysanthemum wine—we’ll just buy some at a tavern later.”

Xu Zhifan looked at Shen Linchuan with smug satisfaction; as long as Shen Linchuan was happy, he was happy.

Shen Linchuan chuckled. “Father is truly magnanimous. What’s the harm in letting him have it? Let’s go take a look over there.”

“Wait a moment.” The Chancellor and his companions, who had been standing behind the crowd, stepped forward. “Since this is a contest, it must be fair. How can we dispose of an imperial gift as we please?”

Tong Siyue, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. “The Chancellor is right. How about this: let’s switch to a live target. We’ll identify the target’s position by sound—what’s the fun in just shooting at a dead target?”

That jar of chrysanthemum wine was the Chancellor’s prized possession; it had taken him quite some time to bring himself to offer it as a prize. The Chancellor thought this was an excellent idea. “Vice Chancellor Tong, that’s a great suggestion. Let’s find a more spacious place and continue the contest.”

Zhou Da waved his hands repeatedly. “No need, no need. I’ll just let the young friend win.”

With so many people watching, and both the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor having spoken, Sun Shiping was naturally unwilling to lose face. “Who asked you to let me win? I’ll make you admit defeat so thoroughly you’ll be convinced!”

The group headed toward the spacious training ground. Zhou Da hadn’t expected things to blow up this big; during the contest, he’d simply assumed the prize was an ordinary jar of chrysanthemum wine—he had no idea it was an imperial gift.

“Linchuan, has Father gotten you into trouble?”                   

“Father, it’s fine. That Sun Shiping has always been at odds with me anyway. Just do your best, Father.”

After Shen Linchuan exchanged a few words with Zhou Da, Zhou Da finally understood why this Sun gentleman harbored such deep animosity toward them—it turned out the two families had long been at odds.

A young boy stood between the two men, tossing palm-sized embroidered balls into the air—ten in all. Whoever hit the most would win, and the imperial chrysanthemum wine would be theirs.

By now, the crowd had gathered around. Both Zhou Da and Sun Shiping had their eyes covered with black cloth. Sun Shiping gripped his bow and arrow tightly—he couldn’t afford to lose.

The area fell silent. The young boy tossed an embroidered ball into the air, and Zhou Da raised his hand to shoot—the arrow that struck the ball fell to the ground.

Faint cheers could be heard from the crowd. Sun Shiping’s palms were sweating—he hadn’t even released his arrow yet, and could it be that the butcher standing next to him had actually hit the target?

The Chief Ritual Master cleared his throat. “Quiet! Everyone, be quiet.”

Judging distance by sound is the ultimate test of hearing—even the Chancellor was captivated by the display; such accuracy was a rare sight.

The young boy in the back tossed out several more embroidered balls—sometimes one at a time, sometimes two at once—and Sun Shiping didn’t even hear them hit the ground.

Sun Shiping’s face went pale, and he began firing arrows haphazardly. When the gong sounded and the black cloth covering his face was removed, he saw that in the open space not far away, every embroidered ball had an arrow stuck in it, with empty arrows scattered here and there around them.

Sun Shiping knew the answer but couldn’t believe it. He turned to ask his attendants standing nearby, “How many did I hit?” The men beside him dared not utter a word; Sun Shiping was domineering and came from a prominent family, so none of them dared to speak up. The Chief Ritual Master clapped his hands. “Excellent, excellent, excellent.”

The young attendant also called out, “Zhou Da hit ten; Sun Shiping, none.”

Sun Shiping’s face went pale, and he nearly stumbled. It was over—all over. He had brought utter disgrace upon the Sun family.

His cousin had passed the provincial examination at twenty-five and the imperial examination at twenty-nine—he was the pride of the entire Sun family. And here he was, losing today to a pig butcher? It was an utter disgrace!

Sun Shiping walked away, his face ashen. He had lost in archery—the very skill he took the most pride in!

Cheers erupted from the crowd. A military officer rushed over and grabbed Zhou Da’s hand. “Brother, how old are you this year? Where are you from? Have you ever thought about joining the army?”

Zhou Da burst out laughing. “My ger’s already married. At my age, why would I join the army? You’re just joking, sir.”

“Ah, no, no—with archery skills like that, you could’ve made a name for yourself if you’d joined the army when you were young. But it’s not too late now! Come to the barracks and have a contest with those cocky young upstarts—let them see what it really means to hit the mark from a hundred paces.”

“I don’t have time for that. I’m just a butcher—my pork shop can’t run without me.”

The captain was a cheerful fellow. “A butcher, huh? No wonder you look so strong and sturdy, old man. As it happens, our barracks always need to buy some pork. When you come by to deliver it, why don’t you put on a little demonstration for the lads?”

Zhou Da hadn’t expected that this single trip would actually bring business to his family. He eagerly agreed, telling the captain where his butcher shop was located and promising that when someone came to place an order, he’d personally deliver it.

The jar of imperial chrysanthemum wine had already been brought over. Shen Linchuan was holding it, and the captain noticed. “Father-in-law, is this your son?” Zhou Da waved his hands repeatedly. “No, no—this is my son-in-law. The one next to him is my son.”

The captain laughed. “Your son-in-law’s riding and archery leave something to be desired—he’s no match for you, his Father-in-law. I was wondering why he didn’t look much like you. Shen Linchuan, it won’t do if your archery skills don’t improve from now on.”

Shen Linchuan replied, “I’ll certainly practice diligently from now on.”

Zhou Da’s archery display drew loud cheers from the crowd. Today’s audience included not only numerous students from the academy but also their family members who had accompanied them. The students began whispering among themselves, “I never expected Sun Shiping to lose.”

“He’s just a butcher, yet he has such excellent archery skills—you really can’t underestimate him.”

“That’s Shen Linchuan’s father-in-law.”                      

“What father-in-law? Shen Linchuan is a son-in-law by marriage—that’s his father.”

The crowd murmured among themselves. Everyone knew about Shen Linchuan’s marriage into the family; Sun Shiping had been spreading the news so widely that even a passing dog would have heard about it.

Shen Linchuan was open and above board, which had actually won him quite a bit of goodwill. What’s the point of making fun of him for marrying into the family? If you’re so capable, why don’t you try to outdo him? On the Literary Merit List, his essays were posted every time during the monthly exams.

Zhou Da was delighted to have won the imperial chrysanthemum wine. He instructed Shen Linchuan to handle it with care, saying he’d let his whole family taste it when he returned home that evening.

Shen Linchuan and his companions toured the academy for a while longer, winning a few small prizes—such as brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones—at other stations. The biggest prize at today’s Mid-Autumn Chrysanthemum Banquet was that imperial chrysanthemum wine, which had already found its way into someone else’s possession.

After the lively festivities, the academy served some cold dishes and pastries. Everyone had a little to eat before dispersing to return home for the family reunion. Zhou Da, beaming with joy after winning the imperial gift, rode his mule to wait for Zhou Fang at the academy gate.

After waiting a while, Zhou Youcheng finally escorted her out. Spotting Zhou Da, he forced a smile. “Uncle.” Zhou Da didn’t respond but turned his attention to Zhou Fang. “Fang, let’s go.”

Zhou Fang lifted the hem of her skirt and climbed onto the mule. “Brother, don’t forget to let me see what that Huang Shuang looks like!”

Zhou Da drove the mule cart away. Zhou Youcheng clenched his fists. He had expected Zhou Da to invite him over for dinner, but to his surprise, the invitation never came. Zhou Youcheng snorted, flung his sleeves, and walked off. So what if he’d caught the military officer’s eye? He was nothing more than a pig butcher, after all.

Today, the Zhou family courtyard was exceptionally lively. In addition to Shen Linchuan’s family of three, there was also Shen Dage’s family, Zhang Xiaoyi and his father, as well as Zhou Fang, Luo Qingshan and Ye Jinglan.

By the time Shen Linchuan and the others returned, the courtyard was already bustling with activity, and the two little ones were playing, teasing the cats and dogs.

Shen Dasao and Zhang Xiaoyi were sitting in the courtyard sorting through vegetables. When they saw the group return, they greeted them, “You’re back pretty early.” It hadn’t been long past noon when they returned.

Shen Linchuan also came down carrying the jar of wine. “Look, what’s this?”

Zhang Xiaoyi glanced at it. “It’s just a jar of wine. Big Brother and Sister-in-law brought a jar of osmanthus wine, too.”

Zhou Ning was also quite pleased. “It’s a jar of chrysanthemum wine—not just any ordinary chrysanthemum wine.”       

“What kind of chrysanthemum wine is that? Could it possibly contain some kind of nectar of the gods?”         

“It’s imperial chrysanthemum wine,” Shen Linchuan said, setting the jar down on the table.

The crowd gasped. “Imperially bestowed? How could there be wine bestowed by the Emperor?”

“The Chancellor of the Academy brought out a jar from his personal collection as a prize, and my father won it,” Shen Linchuan explained.

Shen Dasao hurriedly wiped her hands and stood up. “Hu-zi, Xiaoyu, come here—go play somewhere else. Don’t you dare knock it over! Good heavens, it’s actually imperial wine! We common folk have never seen anything so precious in our lives.”

Shen Dasao was terrified the children might knock it over while running around. “Zhou Da, shouldn’t we put this wine away to keep it safe? It would be such a status symbol if we told people about it—or maybe we could display it in the shop to attract customers.”

“Sister-in-law, you really have a knack for business.” Shen Linchuan hadn’t expected his sister-in-law to come up with such an idea; if this imperial wine were displayed in the shop, it would surely attract quite a crowd.

Since his father had won the wine, Shen Linchuan naturally asked him, “Father, what do you think?”