Chapter 32: Even Fortune Has Its Successors

"Jieyu, you are truly too kind to it."
"It’s only fair. It has won so much for me."
As a reward, Shen Shi bought a great deal of lamb and spices, then returned home to host a barbecue.
Everyone was present, including the two dogs and the fox.
"Humph! Stingy!"
The little fox couldn’t help but curse Shen Shi for being miserly.
Yet she saw things from the perspective of a demon, forgetting that Dahei wasn’t truly a “demon.” Having eaten his fill, Dahei, ever servile, found himself unable to compete with Little Gulu—or perhaps he simply didn’t dare. So he could only wag his tail at Shen Shi, hoping for a few more pieces of meat.
"Pathetic!" the little fox scolded Xiaohei.
It was truly a case of lamenting its misfortune and anger at its failure to fight, gaining a sesame seed while losing a watermelon.
But Xiaohei didn’t see it that way. The landlord’s house had no surplus grain! Since becoming a dog, this was the first time he’d eaten meat so freely. Even in the Gongsun household, chewing on his master’s leftover bones was a rare treat, reserved for New Year’s.
For the first time in his life—being a dog was wonderful!
As for “dignity”… what use was that?
What? To become smarter? I am already the smartest dog there is.
Stronger? Ha! Even the dog king isn’t my match—who could be stronger than I?
Longer life… hmm, perhaps that’s worth considering. But let me gnaw a bit more bone first, lest Gulu snatch it away again.
The little fox’s attempts to negotiate with Dahei were a complete failure. They simply weren’t on the same level; their desires could not be reconciled.
The little fox was left fuming.
But that, too, was a kind of amusement—a flavor of life, wasn’t it?
Just like Kong Xueli and Gongsun Ce. Though they claimed to be adults, neither had yet married, so after a few words their conversation turned inevitably to women. And contrary to what one might think, ancient times were anything but dull; people enjoyed a rich and varied leisure life, often more extravagant than modern times, so long as one dared to spend.
Especially for young men. In today’s world, a group of teenagers visiting a brothel would be met with parents’ wrath and police intervention.

But in ancient times, they played with unmatched abandon. A single flower-viewing competition would send the entire town into a frenzy.
Every year during the flower-viewing contest, each establishment would send a batch of girls to Lanfang Garden to compete; these girls were all of noble birth, and if one could make it into the top ten, her value would soar. To win the title of Flower Queen for the year meant her worth would skyrocket.
It was almost akin to the grand singing competitions of later ages. Just one visit would provide endless topics for conversation.
So when Kong Xueli brought it up, his intentions were clear.
"Isn’t it just a flower-viewing contest? Let’s go."
Naturally, Shen Shi’s eyes lit up; such events rarely failed to tempt men.
Boasting and banter filled the day. Kong Xueli hurried off to gather information—where the contest would be held and when.
Shen Shi, meanwhile, did not simply stash away his silver and live like a country tycoon. The next day, he sought out the village headman. After all, his dilapidated house needed repairs.
He could tolerate broken tiles and bricks, but the privy was beyond endurance.
This season was bearable, but come summer, squatting in the privy amid flies and mosquitoes was intolerable.
So he resolved to renovate the house, especially the toilet. A proper porcelain chamber pot was a must.
"Young master, there’s little work this season. I’ll have them help right away."
"Good! Tell them, anyone who comes to work on the house gets two hearty meals a day and ten coins in wages," Shen Shi instructed.
"Young master, how can we take your money?" the headman protested, waving his hands.
This was the advantage of being a local power.
To be honest, the entire village theoretically belonged to the Shen family.
Of course, that was only in theory; the Shen family could barely care for itself, let alone its retainers. Like the famed Yang family—when Yang the Invincible was alive, the entire county were his retainers. But now? The family had fallen.
As the saying goes, "In poverty, keep to yourself; in prosperity, help the world."
Shen Shi wasn’t so magnanimous, but having made money, he intended to take care of his “comrades.”
"Uncle Chen, say no more. My mind’s made up—and I have plenty of silver. Even the chamber pot will be porcelain."

To persuade them, Shen Shi even played the prodigal son, telling Chief Chen that he intended to squat on porcelain.
His words baffled Chief Chen, but they caught the attention of a passing traveler.
This man was famous—Cao Yi, grandson of Cao Bin, the founding king of the Northern Song, and son of Prince Wu, Cao Qi. The Cao family had lived in Ningjin since the time of Cao Bin’s father, Cao Yun. After their deaths, they were buried in the ancestral tomb in Yanbai Village, Ningjin. Later generations moved to Lingshou, making it their home, but Cao Bin had his fifth son, Cao Qi, remain in Ningjin to guard the ancestral tomb, marking the family’s roots. Cao Qi was later titled Prince Wu by Emperor Renzong, and his daughter was summoned to the palace and crowned Empress by Renzong. Her elder brother, Cao Yi, became the Imperial Uncle.
This Imperial Uncle of the Cao family was remarkable—he became the immortal of “Wealth and Nobility” among the Eight Immortals.
The Eight Immortals represent the eight stations of humanity: men, women, old, young, rich, poor, noble, humble.
Though Daoist legend speaks often of Cao Guojiu’s virtue, there are many virtuous in the world, but only he became the immortal of Wealth and Nobility.
From birth, he possessed the aura of nobility—grandson of the founding king of the Northern Song, son of Prince Wu. Aside from the royal family, there was none higher.
But the royal family's immortal stations had long been claimed by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Even with deep fortune, no more imperial immortals would emerge. Cao Guojiu became immortal not because of his noble birth, but through the fortune of commerce. In the Age of Declining Law, only those with "fortune" can ascend.
History records that Cao Guojiu was a merchant, wealthy enough to rival the state. The Song dynasty’s tolerance for merchants made him the era’s representative and idol among businessmen. His aura was immense.
Of course, he was not yet immortal. He had merely passed through Jinhua, not intending to conduct business, but Shen Shi’s mention of a porcelain chamber pot immediately caught his attention.
As a man wealthy enough to rival nations, indulged by fate, with his own sister as Empress, he always treated himself well.
To have a porcelain chamber pot—so extravagant, so stylish—how could he miss out?
He halted his carriage, hurried down, followed the sound, found Shen Shi, and asked, "Young man, you have a porcelain chamber pot at home?"
Cao Guojiu’s carriage passed, his aura immense, and Shen Shi’s eyes sensed it instinctively.
Cao Yi, grandson of Northern Song’s founding king, son of Prince Wu, sibling to the Empress, his noble aura shone blue tinged with purple, like a regal canopy. Upon the canopy gleamed a golden light of ancestral virtue. Around it swirled boundless fortune.
To put it plainly, he was not only a second-generation official and a second-generation tycoon—he was a second-generation child of fortune.