Chapter 58: Dispute Over the Shops
“Sister Sang Yu, you must be tired from your journey. Please return to the manor and rest. Mother has missed you and has been talking about you for days. If it weren’t for her old leg pain acting up after winter set in, she would have come to the ferry terminal to pick you up herself. The kitchen has already prepared your favorite dishes,” the Third Young Miss said, pulling me along.
I hesitated for a moment.
Now, if I returned to the Cheng Family, what would my status be?
If the Old Madam kept me, how would I conduct myself? To refuse would be unfeeling, as the Book of Rites states, “When a gift is bestowed by an elder, one dares not decline.” To stay, however, would be improper in terms of status, and it would inevitably lead to awkwardness in all matters within the manor.
Qin Mingxu walked over and said, “The Zhu Family only recently relocated to Yangzhou. Master Zhu is still bedridden and gravely ill. He wrote previously, eagerly awaiting his eldest daughter’s return. Sang Yu, perhaps you could entrust your luggage to me, and I will take Xiao Yin to the Zhu Residence first. You can pay your respects to Old Madam Cheng and then return.”
His words were very thoughtful.
“Pay respects” and “return to the manor” clearly defined my current status: no longer the Cheng Family’s daughter-in-law, but Miss Zhu. If the luggage returned first, the Old Madam would not be able to keep me for long. Mentioning my father’s serious illness would not be abrupt or disrespectful. It also preserved the Cheng Family’s dignity.
I nodded and said, “In that case, I will trouble Young Master Qin.”
Here, I went to the Cheng Residence with the Third Young Miss, Lu Gui, Wu Bi, He Hua, and others.
After walking a few steps, I looked back towards the large willow tree.
It was empty, with nothing there.
Whose eyes were those, after all?
The Main Courtyard of the Cheng Residence.
The Old Madam was reclining on a soft couch, with several maidservants massaging her legs.
I entered the room, knelt on the ground, and performed a deep bow, saying, “Greetings, Mother.”
Seeing me, the Old Madam struggled to get up. She walked over unsteadily, helped me up, and said tearfully, “Sang Yu, my child, you have suffered so much.”
I quickly helped her back to the couch and said, “I have not suffered. As long as Mother is healthy and the Cheng Family is safe, it is all thanks to the Emperor’s grace and the Bodhisattva’s blessings.”
She covered her face with a handkerchief and said, “When the news of Huai’er’s execution reached us, I cried until my eyes were half blind. At my age, to send a child to the grave before myself, the pain pierces my heart. I only wish this old body of mine had given out immediately. I know that after Huai’er’s death, the rest of the Cheng Family was spared, and Sang Yu, you must have put in a great deal of effort. It is all thanks to you, all thanks to you.”
I bowed and said, “Mother, to speak like this is to treat me as an outsider.”
Her silver hair trembled, “Sang Yu, when I received word from the Clan Elders that Huai’er divorced you, my heart was filled with regret. I often told people that my daughter-in-law was better than my son. Her filial piety towards me was beyond reproach. You made no mistakes; on what grounds did he divorce you? Foolish, so foolish.”
She waved her hand at a maidservant, who brought over a set of keys.
The Old Madam said to me, “Sang Yu, you were Huai’er’s wife, and though he disowned you, I acknowledge you. These are the keys to the Cheng Family’s treasury, warehouse, counter, and the silver in the money house. Child, if you are willing, you can still manage this household. Even if I die, I will rest in peace.”
I knelt on the ground again and said, “Mother’s kindness is deeply appreciated. Third Sister has become increasingly steady with her experience, and Mister Lu is an experienced man who is knowledgeable and well-read in the Books of Sages. He understands much more than I do. Once they are married, Mister Lu will be part of the Cheng Family, which is the most appropriate. Mother will have someone to rely on in her old age, and I can be at ease. The Zhu Family has moved to Yangzhou, and I will be living in Yangzhou. I will certainly visit Mother often.”
Hearing this, the Old Madam sighed deeply, a mixture of regret and relief in her eyes as she looked at me.
She then instructed the Steward, “Tell everyone in the manor that Sang Yu is still a member of the Cheng Family. From now on, when you see her, address her as Miss.”
“Yes,” the Steward replied, lowering his head.
At this moment, a servant boy entered, hurriedly reporting, “Old Madam is blessed, Old Madam is blessed, the whole scorpion is found! It’s found!”
The Steward exclaimed joyfully, “Really? Where did you get it?”
The servant boy replied in a jumbled manner.
It turned out that a few days prior, a wandering doctor had given the Old Madam a folk remedy that was said to be very effective for her old leg pain. One of the ingredients was whole scorpion, which was very difficult to find on the market. Because the whole scorpion has a hooked venomous stinger at its tail, capturing it was life-threatening and could only be done by an expert. Therefore, it had been delayed.
Mister Lu and Shopkeeper Wu had put out word at the pharmacy that whoever found a whole scorpion would receive a generous reward from the Old Madam.
However, months passed, and there was still no news.
Today, the servant boy went to the market and happened to encounter a farmer wearing a black straw hat selling this very thing. The man asked for only a single string of coins. The servant boy called him to the manor to collect the reward, but he refused, took the money, and left with his bamboo basket.
The Steward said, “This is strange. Is there anyone in this world who doesn’t love money? What did that person look like?”
The servant boy replied, “Judging by his clothing, he looked like a hunter from a remote mountain area. His voice was rough, so he must have been older.”
The Old Madam said, “Perhaps he only wanted what he deserved. You have been in the company of refined people for too long; how would you know the simplicity of mountain folk? Next time, if anyone from the manor encounters him in the market, give him more silver.”
“Yes,” the servant boy replied.
The Steward quickly took the whole scorpion to brew the medicine according to the folk remedy.
I bid farewell to the Old Madam and left the Cheng Residence. Qin Mingxu was waiting for me at the intersection.
He smiled and said, “Sang Yu, let me show you the shop.”
What he said was exactly what I had been thinking.
Ever since returning from the Capital City, I had been preoccupied with this matter.
The Zhu Family’s flower wine had declined in recent years, becoming obscure. Upon arriving in Yangzhou, finding a suitable shop was very important. To open our doors to all and sundry, our reputation had to be established first.
The Sage of Commerce, Tao Zhu Gong, said, “Without a river, there can be no boat to carry cargo; without a boat, there can be no crossing the river.”
I personally believe that in business, a shop is equivalent to the rudder of a boat; the rudder is the direction.
Qin Mingxu said, “Sang Yu, I have secured a shop on Dongguan Street. You can go and take a look. If you are not satisfied, we will search again tomorrow.”
Dongguan Street, at its eastern end, is the Dongguan Ferry Terminal of the Grand Canal. Since the Tang Dynasty, it has been an important thoroughfare for Yangzhou Prefecture. With the convenience of transportation provided by the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Yangzhou became the foremost commercial port in the southeast of the Great Ming. And Dongguan Street was the most dazzling pearl on that commercial port.
I smiled and said, “You have taken care of everything.”
“If you are satisfied, then I am truly complete.”
Upon arriving at Dongguan Street, he pointed to the secured shop and asked me, “Sang Yu, what do you think of it?”
I observed it carefully from left to right and said, “It is very good.”
“Then this is the one,” he said, instructing a servant boy, “Go and call the owner.”
The servant boy agreed and left.
Not long after, a middle-aged man arrived. As soon as he spoke, he repeatedly apologized, “Young Master Qin, it was my foolishness. My wife has already sold this shop and did not inform me in time, so I was unaware. I will return your deposit immediately, and you can look elsewhere.”
Qin Mingxu frowned and said, “A contract is a contract. Why are you going back on your word? Since you say it has already been sold, then show me the contract. If the date is indeed earlier than mine, I will accept it.”
The man stammered and refused to produce it.
Seeing this, I said, “According to the Great Ming Law, profiting through illegal means is punishable by forty strokes of the cane. Let us go to the Yamen and have the local magistrate decide.”
The man became anxious and said, “To tell you the truth, it’s useless even if you go to the Yamen, let alone the Capital City. A noble person has taken a fancy to this place today; how can you possibly compete with him?”
I said, “No matter who it is, no one is above the Great Ming Law. No matter how noble, no one is more noble than justice.”
Seeing that I showed no fear, the man signaled to his attendant.
Soon, a young man in a lake-blue robe arrived with a group of people, making quite a commotion.
The young man reeked of alcohol in broad daylight.
He eyed me and said, “Is it you who is competing with me for the shop?”
I said, “Everything has its order. It is not I who am competing with you, but you who are competing with me.”
“How dare you!”
“I just said that we can go to the Yamen and let the local magistrate decide.”
He spat disdainfully, “What is a local magistrate?”
Qin Mingxu suddenly noticed the jade plaque on the young man’s waist.
He thought for a moment and said, “Words and actions should be harmonious; harmony brings wealth. Since you desire this shop, we will reluctantly part with it and let you have it, to make your acquaintance.”
I understood his intention and followed his gaze to the jade plaque.
A prominent character “Zheng” was engraved on it.
I looked at the young man’s features again and suddenly remembered Consort Zheng whom I had seen in the Imperial Palace.
After His Majesty took personal charge of state affairs, there was a period of upheaval in the Imperial Court, and the Imperial Harem was naturally in turmoil as well.
Lady Wang, after giving birth to the Emperor’s eldest son, was barely granted the title of “Consort Gong.” Not long after, she was banished to the Cold Palace.
Consort Zheng, favored by His Majesty, was elevated to the rank of Imperial Consort, becoming the sole prominent figure.
Minister Zhang died, and the Empress Dowager withdrew from court. His Majesty no longer had any reservations and acted according to his own preferences.
Consort Zheng was originally from Yangzhou.
This man, with his arrogant demeanor and the jade plaque, was most likely her brother.
The young man stroked the thumb ring on his hand, looked at me, and said to Qin Mingxu, “Oh? Can you make decisions in your family? Is your wife willing to give it up?”
He mistook me and Qin Mingxu for a married couple.
