Chapter 4 Apprenticeship
Xu Erpeng bought a three-courtyard house in the bustling Changmen area, but he kept it a secret, not even from his ancestral family. In his spare time while writing, he hired contractors who had worked on the Forbidden City during the Yongle era and were known as the famous Xiangshan Gang. He asked painters to renovate the two storefronts into the style of a bookstore and had carpenters build bookshelves.
When the storefront was being repaired, he hired two engravers from a brokerage firm. They happened to be a pair of brothers surnamed Tang. The engraving fee for each page of about 500 characters was 1.5 qian of silver. Two scribes were also hired, with a fee of 4 li per 100 characters.
In addition, Fujian bamboo paper and jujube and pear wood for carving should also be prepared.
With limited funds, he only printed the most essential and best-selling books. Firstly, there were books for the imperial examinations, such as *The Four Books with Annotations*, *Essays on Policy*, *Selected Works of Zhaoming*, *The Top Scholar's Policy*, and *Selected Works of Cheng Mo*, all of which were popular, with covers boasting phrases like "Guaranteed Success" and "Success is Certain." Secondly, there were popular vernacular stories and operas, such as *The Journey to the West of Tang Sanzang*, *The Tale of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl*, *The Story of Guanyin's Birth*, *The Story of Bodhidharma's Birth*, *The Story of the Southern Song Dynasty*, *The Story of the Northern Song Dynasty*, and *The Popular Romance of the Restoration of the Great Song Dynasty*.
Because he himself has a group of book fans, after completing the manuscript in April, he began to prepare for the new book, first writing a book of about 100,000 words in ten volumes as an introduction.
Therefore, besides the work at the shop, Xu Erpeng also had to write furiously at night, as did Mei. During the day, besides taking care of the children, she spun thread and wove cloth, and at night she made summer socks. Even Miaozhen would come over from school and help with the work. The whole family worked together towards the same goal.
Sometimes when Xu Erpeng gets up to stretch, he will talk to Mei about the shop: "Bamboo utensils are cheap, so let's make do with them. Once our shop is on the right track, we'll get some better furniture."
"Don't worry about us, just focus on running the shop well," Madam Mei said with a smile.
Xu Erpeng said, "After we move there, we'll find a better tutor for our daughter. When things get better, we'll buy a few servants to take care of you and your daughter. That's better than anything else."
Mei was very happy that her husband always thought of her and was so capable. After the couple finished talking, they saw that Miaozhen was already asleep on the small bed, so they tiptoed back to their respective places.
The book market usually attracts booksellers from other places and some small booksellers to sell books on the first and fifteenth days of each month and the sixth day of the month. He wants to open his business in May.
Meanwhile, Uncle Xu hadn't found a good shop yet. The better locations were ridiculously expensive, and he didn't even want the less desirable ones. Bao Shi was getting increasingly angry, complaining that Miao Lian's studies were too expensive and wanting to stop her from studying. It was only after everyone persuaded her that Miao Lian was allowed to continue her studies.
Compared to her third aunt, who often prevented her daughter from studying, her eldest aunt specially arranged for her daughter to learn painting from a female tutor. At night, when Miaozhen got up to relieve herself, she heard her father say, "The eldest son asked the third son for five taels of silver for Miaoyun's painting lessons. He also said that his sister-in-law had already paid ten taels of silver for Miaoyun's tea ceremony and incense ceremony lessons, and was already short of money."
Miaozhen was astonished, but she was also puzzled. Wasn't her uncle a tribute student? Why did he seem to be borrowing money?
Now, let's talk about Xu Dalang and Huang Shi, who rented a house in the most prosperous area between Changmen and Xumen. They earned six qian of silver a month, which was seven taels and two qian of silver a year. Their wages were not low. Huang Shi knew how to raise silkworms, reel silk, and weave silk herself. She could weave about sixty bolts of silk a year, which would amount to more than forty taels after deducting costs. Xu Dalang used to work as a lecturer and earned ten taels a month. However, he felt guilty about his job as a lecturer and was afraid that people would find out his true abilities. So he went to work as a teacher at a community school. In this way, he only earned twelve taels a year. In addition, he had two fen of silver a day for food, so he only earned seven or eight taels a year.
Actually, this is quite good for ordinary people, but Huang desperately wanted to have a son, so she tried all sorts of remedies and medicines, and also wanted to raise a daughter. As a result, the couple's life became difficult, and they had to borrow money.
Of course, he didn't tell his family about his resignation from the academy and his move to teach at the community school.
But for some reason, Xu Dalang breathed a sigh of relief, no longer needing to be suspected.
This made Huang dissatisfied again: "You are a tribute student, more than qualified to be a lecturer. If you don't like any of the academies, why did you go to another one? Why did you only go to the community school? I'm ashamed to say it out loud."
What else could Xu Dalang say? He was utterly powerless...
Seeing her mother scolding her father, Miaoyun silently lowered her eyes. Fortunately, the couple stopped arguing as soon as they saw their daughter like this.
However, when Xu Dalang learned in May that his younger brother had moved to a new house, he was incredulous. He asked Xu Sanlang, "Is this for real?"
"It's true. My second brother opened a bookstore called Jin Chang Ru Lin Bookstore in Changmen. He sold me both rooms in the family home, saying he needed to raise money to buy the house. He's in debt for a huge sum of money. But I just took over the shop and don't have the money on hand, so I only gave him a few strings of cash. He'll pay the rest later." Xu Sanlang's words were also an implication that Xu Dalang should repay him as soon as possible.
After Xu Dalang learned that his second brother had bought it, he was sure to visit. Huang also prepared two kinds of water gifts. When the three of them arrived at Niujia Lane, they saw that there were many bookstores with exquisite books, and there were also many brothels nearby. No wonder this was the most prime location.
"Is it there?" Miao Yunren, with her sharp eyes, spotted it quickly.
Following their daughter's direction, the couple saw two rather neatly arranged bookstores with a signboard that read "Jin Chang Ru Lin Bookstore." The pillars were decorated with various plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, which were quite elegant. Outside, a banner read, "The latest 'Zhou Yu Teaches His Son to Find His Relatives' has arrived." The bookshelves were filled with the most popular storybooks.
Then Xu Erpeng came out to greet them, saying, "Brother and sister-in-law, I'll lead you in from that side."
Having said that, he instructed the shop assistant to stay and watch over the area, then asked them to go around to the east gate. Xu Dalang observed carefully. The front entrance had been converted into a bookstore, and a covered shed had been installed between the first and second courtyards. Underneath the shed was a wheelbarrow, presumably for delivering goods. To the west were several rooms, where craftsmen could be seen working. The second hall consisted of several large rooms. Xu Erpeng explained, "This is where we usually receive guests. There's a door on the west side of this second hall leading to the kitchen and storeroom. My wife and I live opposite the main hall. As for the third courtyard, it's an embroidery tower for Zhen'er."
A path leads directly from the second hall to the main house, with lovely flowerbeds nearby, where roses, trumpet vines, hibiscus, and wild roses bloom in vibrant colors.
The men were talking in the second hall. Xu Dalang saw that his second brother's father-in-law, Scholar Mei, had come over, along with several of Mei's brothers-in-law, who were chatting and laughing. These people used to look down on his second brother, but now they were calling him "brother-in-law" affectionately.
Xu Erpeng laughed and said, "Today is a book fair, so please excuse me for a moment. Please help me entertain you, eldest brother and third brother."
Then, Huang led her daughter Miaoyun by the hand to the main room, where many women were talking, a large gathering! Huang felt a pang of sadness, but then Mei smiled and said, "After we bought the house, we really have no money left, so please take care of us."
Although there are no expensive furniture inside, it is truly enviable to be able to live in such an exquisite and elegant house.
Miaozhen was also moving into her new home for the first time, and she was still a little unaccustomed to the emptiness. The Xu family's second branch had suddenly undergone a complete transformation. But she liked her new home, a two-story embroidered building. The first floor was intended for her maids to live on, and the second floor was for her to live on.
Aunt Qiao was the wealthiest among the sisters. She gave a pot of lucky bamboo in a blue and white porcelain dish and a set of porcelain with gold trim. She was the most vocal, and all the aunts and uncles flattered her.
The Qiao family was a prominent family in Suzhou Prefecture. Although none of their direct relatives held high-ranking official positions, some of their distant relatives had become provincial governors or prefects. Aunt Qiao's eldest brother-in-law was a maritime merchant who specialized in transporting raw silk and porcelain overseas for sale, and then bringing back jewelry and spices. He made a fortune doing this. This Mr. Qiao was also a student in Changzhou County.
Uncle Qiao was no less accomplished. Although he was only a student of the Imperial Academy, he had already donated money to become a student of the Imperial Academy and owned two money shops in Suzhou. Therefore, Aunt Qiao wore a blue peony-patterned brocade jacket with gold trim, paired with a finely pleated skirt embroidered with flowering branches. Even the cloud-patterned shoes had a pearl inlaid on the toes.
Not to mention the red coral and jade hairpins inserted in her smooth bun, surrounded by a circle of necklaces, and the pearl hairpins trembling as she spoke. She also wore a jade bracelet, which made her wrists look like white jade.
She pointed out in a loud voice, "Elder sister, you should hire a few maids. Is your brother-in-law unwilling to spend even this little bit of money?"
The other women in the Mei family echoed this sentiment. Mei and Aunt Qiao were not from the same mother, and their relationship had always been lukewarm. She had long heard that Qiao's husband was a frequent visitor to brothels, had several concubines at home, and also had other wives outside the marriage—that was common among businessmen. Therefore, to some extent, she felt she had made a good marriage. After all, Xu Erpeng was upright, capable, and talented, and she felt superior to her sister in their marital relationship.
At the same time, seeing that Aunt Qiao had also sent a congratulatory gift, she did not feel inferior. She just smiled and said, "Let's talk about it when the shop makes money. We still owe money at home."
Seeing that Madam Mei was so composed, Aunt Qiao didn't say much more. If Madam Mei were more coy, she would definitely be compared to others again. But after looking around for a moment, she saw Miaozhen and asked, "Has Zhen'er started studying?"
Miaozhen said, "I have been studying for two and a half years."
But Aunt Qiao smiled and said, "Your uncle has hired a female teacher from Hangzhou. She comes from a wealthy family and is especially good at poetry. She is just starting to learn, so if you are also just starting, she can keep you company."
Aunt Qiao's words were insincere; she was just showing off and didn't really want Miao Zhen to learn. So Miao Zhen smiled and said, "I appreciate Aunt's kindness, but my father said he'll find me another tutor after a while."
The little girls didn't like to mingle with the adults, so Miaozhen got up and took her cousins and two maternal cousins to her embroidery room. She took out two plates of fruit-filled pastries, a plate of silver thread candy, and a plate of tangerines from the cupboard and invited everyone to eat.
The two younger cousins from the maternal uncle's side were eating snacks and candies. Miaolian also picked up a piece of silver thread candy and ate it, but Miaoyun didn't eat any. Seeing that she was shy, Miaozhen said, "Big sister, don't you like them? Would you like to try this fruit-filled pastry?"
Miaoyun then held up the food with her handkerchief and ate in small bites. She was only about the same age as Miaozhen, yet Miaozhen saw elegance in her.
Today, at the Xu family's housewarming celebration, after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, a mess was left behind, all of which was cleaned up by Mei Shi Feng Niang and even Xu Er Peng himself.
Even so, the family was happy, finally they had their own house.
Xu Erpeng was a very pragmatic person. He received more than fifty taels of writing fees in April, which he kept without touching them, just in case something unexpected happened and he wouldn't be able to pay them off.
Therefore, even after the bookstore had been open for a month, Miaozhen's family did not hire any other servants. Every day, Mei and Fengniang prepared the meals together, and Miaozhen helped to tend the fire in the stove.
Her father also used the money he saved to buy a lot of woodblocks. As he first entered the industry, he gradually learned that unless you hire someone to carve new books, some old books actually already have pre-carved woodblocks, which are cheap and easy to use.
A single woodblock print can be used thousands to tens of thousands of times, so investing in woodblocks in the early stages is quite necessary. For example, the Ghost Festival is just around the corner in July, and various Buddhist scriptures will be printed. There are cheapest versions, such as bamboo paper versions, and slightly more expensive versions made of cotton paper with engravings.
In previous years, even if I wrote diligently all year, I would only earn a hundred or so taels of silver at most. This time, I only sold from May to August and have already earned more than a hundred taels.
After making money, Xu Erpeng was not stingy. He bought a kitchen maid named Yuxiang for his family, which cost six taels of silver. He also bought two maids named Jinchai and Yinhuan for Mei, each costing three taels and five qian of silver. In addition, he bought two maids named Xiaoxi and Xiaotao for Miaozhen, each costing three taels and five qian of silver.
This is how they started to resemble a modest household. Mei only needed to take care of Jian Ge every day, as there were people to do both the rough and fine work.
Miaozhen, a modern person, was not used to having servants to serve her personally, but she quickly became decadent. Xiaoxi and Xiaotao were both two years older than her and could comb her hair, wash clothes, and help serve tea and water. Now that they were here, she could save a lot of time to study medical books.
Xu Erpeng had been observing his daughter. He saw that even though she hadn't gone to study under Yu Xiucai, she still practiced calligraphy and read every day. She could also memorize about 50% of the books he had asked her to memorize, such as "Complete Collection of Prescriptions for Women", "Danxi's Heart Method", and "Emerging Prescriptions". Only then did he realize that his daughter had perseverance and was willing to find her a good teacher.
In his view, everyone has their own way of life. If one is poor, one can learn needlework, which is a valuable skill in Suzhou. If one has some wealth, then one has more options and can learn more things that others don't have.
Of course, reading and needlework should not be forgotten.
Just as he has a talent for writing storybooks, he can't rely on that for his entire life. That way, even if he stops writing books, he can still use his status as a scholar to write legal documents for people, open a private school, or even buy a few acres of poor land and get tax exemption. He can make a living no matter what.
Therefore, he hoped that his daughter could master needlework and then learn medicine, so that if one thing didn't work out, another would.
Therefore, with the money left over from buying the maid, he didn't buy furniture, but instead helped Miaozhen study at the girls' school run by Lady Qiu. The tuition was ten taels a year, which was more than ten times that of Yu Xiucai's school.
But hearing that Madam Qiu can teach the Six Arts and etiquette, it's worth it.
Furthermore, the couple made a new set of clothes for Miaozhen and had Scholar Mei take her to study under a master. Together they went to the residence of Tao Dingguo, a famous doctor in the prefecture. Tao Dingguo's father was also a famous doctor, especially skilled in typhoid fever, and his wife, Ru, also came from a family of famous doctors and was skilled in gynecology.
Originally, Ru Shi disagreed. In the Ming Dynasty, there were generally two types of people who studied medicine. One type was those whose families had been doctors for generations. Even the female doctors in the Wu and Anhui regions were taught by their family members. About 70% of the female doctors had family backgrounds in medicine. Ru Shi's niece was learning from her. The other type was those who became doctors through self-study. Many of them were scholars who failed the imperial examinations and became doctors through self-study. However, such people accounted for only 10% to 20%.
When Madam Ru met Miaozhen, she noticed that Miaozhen was quick-witted and had bright eyes, and couldn't help but ask, "Have you studied?"
“I’ve been studying for two and a half years now. Later, I said I wanted to study gynecology to treat my mother’s illness and to make us women proud. Many female doctors and pharmacists can’t take pulses or prescribe medicine; they just buy pills to fool patients, making people think that female doctors are low-class. So, my father bought back the ‘Nan Jing,’ ‘Mai Jue,’ and ‘Su Wen,’ and I understand their meanings. I only ask that you teach me more, Madam,” Miaozhen said.
Seeing her say this, Ru Shi also wanted to test her: "What does dizziness and vertigo mean?"
Miaozhen blurted out: "All dizziness and vertigo are caused by the liver."
What are the diseases of the uterus described in the *Ling Shu*?
"It's a stone tumor."
Seeing her daughter answer the questions, Madam Mei's heart was in her throat. Fortunately, her daughter answered both questions correctly, but Madam Ru continued to ask, "What are the main symptoms of cold extremities?"
Miaozhen smiled and said, "It's because your limbs are cold."
"If treating a cough affecting the six internal organs, which part should be selected?"
“When taking the combination of xue.”
Just as Miaozhen thought Ru was going to ask more questions, she saw Ru smile and say, "Are you afraid of needles? Are you afraid of suffering?"
Miaozhen quickly shook her head: "I'm not afraid."
She knew that Ru asked this because she wanted to take her as her apprentice. Sure enough, Ru said to Mei, "Your Xu family has raised a fine woman."
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