Chapter 139 Meng Chun, outwardly naive but inwardly shrewd...
Magistrate Zhao looked embarrassed but had no way to refute it, so he could only make up an excuse: "This project is a waste of manpower and money, and I am unwilling to do it."
"Wasting money and manpower? Magistrate Zhao, I've never asked you before, but you come from a good family, haven't you? At least you haven't suffered financially, and you don't understand the lives of farmers who toil in the fields. If they want to eat their fill and wear warm clothes, they have to work. Do you think they're like you and me? Holding books and pens, sleeping soundly at home, traveling in carriages, earning a monthly salary?" Du Min made no attempt to hide his sarcasm.
"I instructed Magistrate Sun to spread the word about hiring laborers in the five nearby counties: thirty coins a day, three meals a day, and wages paid every ten days. Do you believe that farmers who hear this will scramble to work for thirty coins and three meals a day? As long as I keep paying them, they can work from this winter to next spring, rushing back as soon as they finish their work in the fields. How many dynasties have passed through this heartland of the Central Plains? How many powerful families and how many peasant families have lived here? Don't you know how many landless people there are in the territory you govern? There are countless people who sell their wives and daughters for a full stomach. Ask them if they are willing to sell their labor to earn a living?" Du Min's eyes widened, and he questioned emotionally, "Magistrate Zhao, how can you say it's a waste of the people's labor?"
Magistrate Zhao, unable to maintain his composure under the question, awkwardly turned his face away and said, "It's getting dark; you should go back now."
Du Min pretended not to hear and continued, "On this land, merchants are so rich that the hemp ropes used to string copper coins can rot and weather away. The gentry and powerful families occupy thousands of acres of farmland, and the grain piled up in their warehouses is enough for a family to eat for ten years. I'm asking them to donate money and grain, so that the money in their pockets can go back to the farmers. How can that be considered a waste of money?"
Magistrate Zhao sighed, "Yes, you did the right thing. I misspoke."
"Of course you misspoke. What I'm doing is a great deed that benefits the present and future generations." Du Min crossed his legs, straightened his robes, and continued to press, "What other concerns do you have?"
"What?" Magistrate Zhao feigned ignorance. "Lord Du, if you don't leave soon, it will get dark, and it won't be safe to cross the river."
"Does Lord Zhao intend to follow my example and repair the dikes?" Du Min ignored his words and only asked about what he cared about.
Magistrate Zhao was unwilling. His term would end next year, and if the dike construction project could not be completed within a year, all his hard work would be for the benefit of the next magistrate.
“You’ve hired all the able-bodied men from the five nearby counties. Where am I supposed to hire people? Do you expect me to compete with you?” Magistrate Zhao chuckled. He bet that Du Min couldn’t build a dike that spanned the entire Heqing County within a year. When the floods came next year, the two counties would still share the burden. As long as the water in the Yellow River didn’t all flow into Heyin County, it wouldn’t affect his political achievements.
Du Min was truly furious. He stood up, gave a perfunctory bow, and left without saying a word.
On the way back, Du Min pondered reporting Magistrate Zhao, but couldn't find a suitable pretext. His only option was to abandon his plan to join forces with Magistrate Zhao to suppress the extravagant funeral practices in Heyin County, hoping to get Magistrate Zhao a poor performance review and retain him in office, ultimately leading to his own downfall. However, he worried that if he fell out with Magistrate Zhao, the latter would become indifferent and abandon all efforts. In the end, he would save Heqing County but at the cost of sacrificing the land of farmers in Heyin County, inevitably earning him a bad reputation.
Du Min pondered the problem all the way from Heyin County to Heqing County, but he couldn't come up with a practical solution, so he had to put the problem aside for the time being.
*
"Third Uncle, you're back? Your second brother was just wondering if you'd be staying at Magistrate Zhao's place tonight." Meng's father ran into Du Min as he went out.
"Are you going back?" Du Min asked. "I'll arrange a car to take you back."
"No need, no need, let's walk back. It'll help us digest our food along the way," Meng's mother refused.
"Don't be so polite, come on in," Meng Chun said. "We're leaving now."
Du Min nodded, watched the Meng family of three walk away, and then stepped inside.
Meng's father and mother chatted idly along the way, while Meng Chun remained silent. Upon returning home, he first fed the geese and then went into his parents' bedroom.
"Is there anything else?" Meng's father asked, yawning.
Meng Chun pulled out the contract she had received half an hour earlier from her bosom and asked, "Why don't you lend the money to my sister?"
Meng's father glanced at him and asked, "What do you want to say?"
“If we lend it to her, she’ll have to pay it back next year. Then we’ll have saved up money again next year. Isn’t it a problem to have so much money piled up at home? We’ll have to keep watch even when we’re asleep,” said Meng’s mother.
Meng Chun shook the contract. "Buying the paper mill was my sister's idea. Ren Wenqiu was the person she found. The fact that she was able to buy the paper mill for 17,000 strings of cash was also because Ren Wenqiu was currying favor with Du Min. Even the escorting constables were a favor from Du Min. He was only willing to borrow constables from the neighboring county because of my sister. My sister went through all the trouble of arranging everything. And I just contribute a person and a sum of money and get 70% of the profits?"
"What are you trying to say?" Mr. Meng frowned. "Are you trying to say that I deliberately took advantage of her?"
"Isn't that right? Why don't you just lend her the money directly? If she doesn't take it, the money won't be piling up at home next year!" Meng Chun questioned. "Who do you think we are? Aren't you taking advantage of us? A paper mill of this size is so rare. Without her, could we have bought it? Besides, with the Yishu (charity school) paving the way, this paper mill is a goose that lays golden eggs. It might even make more money than the paper horse shop."
Mr. Meng lowered his brows. “You’re overthinking it. I don’t have that thought. If I had any ulterior motives, it would be a little. Your sister is extravagant and doesn’t hesitate to spend money, but Wangzhou isn’t even grown up yet, and all her money is going to Du Min. What kind of person is Du Min? To be honest, in front of him, I feel like I’ve wasted decades of my life. I can’t see through him. I’m not sure if what he’s showing now is genuine or just an act. I’m worried that he’s only after your sister’s money. If he really is after money, how much of what your sister earns can he take? Our money has nothing to do with him, but it will be truly invested in Wangzhou in a decade or so. I still know you. Your feelings for your sister are genuine. When Wangzhou needs money, you won’t hesitate to spend it.”
"I won't, but can you be sure my wife won't object? My children won't object? Wouldn't money ruin a perfectly good family?" Meng Chun shook her head. "And you guys, are you too idle, or do you think you've grown smarter with age? You're actually making decisions for my sister. Is she dumber than you? Doesn't she know what she's doing?"
"You scoundrel! How dare you talk to us like that?" Father Meng slammed his fist on the bed in anger.
"I think you're both getting a bit senile, or maybe money has emboldened you, and you've started to have ulterior motives. Please don't try anything funny; I don't want your actions to cause a rift between my sister and me." Meng Chun saw that his father was just a paper tiger and wouldn't actually hit him, so he spoke disrespectfully. At the same time, he raised his other hand, pinched a corner of the contract, and with a slight force, tore it in half.
Mencius's father and mother watched in silence.
“I think the root of a family falling apart is that everyone has their own calculations. The best example is my brother-in-law’s family.” Meng Chun tore the tattered contract paper again and said, “My sister has been in charge of this family for more than 20 years. The lives of you two, me and her have been getting better year by year. Don’t make any changes. Continue to listen to her and make money with her.”
Meng's father glared at him. "What changes? Your sister is still in charge. If your mother and I treated her like an outsider, would we have handed over the family fortune to her without consulting you?"
“There’s no best, just consider it overthinking.” Meng Chun put the torn contract back into his pocket and said, “The money was lent to my sister. She’ll take 80% of the profits from the paper mill. Don’t think I’ll be at a disadvantage. When I’ve saved enough money, I can buy paper mills in Yangzhou and Suzhou. But she can’t. She can only use public funds to acquire private property this year. The paper mill in Wen County is the capital she’ll use to acquire private property in my name in the future, and she’ll take the lion’s share of the profits.”
“She didn’t tell me anything.” Mr. Meng felt bad.
"Don't interfere in what's between my sister and me anymore," Meng Chun instructed.
"I know," said Meng's mother. "You've been traveling for several days, go back to your room and get some sleep."
Meng Chun is gone.
*
The next day, just as dawn broke, Meng Chun rushed to the yamen without even having breakfast.
The alley outside the county government office was lined with horse-drawn carriages and oxcarts. Du Min was watching the yamen runners and servants carrying out betrothal gifts when he saw Meng Chun. He was surprised for a moment, then realized, "Here to see your sister off?"
Meng Chun nodded, glanced at the betrothal gifts tied with red silk, and said, "I'll come and help later."
"Go inside, she's trying to comfort that crybaby Wang Zhou," Du Min laughed.
Meng Chun entered the government office and immediately saw Wang Zhou wiping away tears in his father's arms.
“You refused to come to Luoyang with us, and now you’re crying nonstop,” Du Li said helplessly.
"Don't worry about me, I just want to cry." Wang Zhou explained, wiping away her tears. "I just can't bear to leave you all... Don't talk to me about going to Luoyang."
Du Li shut her mouth in disappointment.
"Sister, come here." Meng Chun beckoned.
"What's wrong? Is something the matter? Don't tell me you came to see me off." Meng Qing walked over.
Meng Chun pulled out a handful of torn contracts and handed them to her. “I’ve already talked to my parents. This money is a loan from you. The profits from the paper mill will be split according to our previous agreement: 20/80, I get 20% and you get 80%.”
Meng Qing froze. "I discussed it with my parents. Why are you going back on your word?"
Meng Chun shook his leg, pretending to be nonchalant, and declared, "When the four of us are one family, you're in charge. But when you and I are separated into two families, you have to discuss it with me. I'm in charge of everything in the family; my parents can't make decisions."
Meng Qing laughed, "Go tell your father that and see if he beats you."
“I won’t say it in front of him.” Meng Chun smiled as well. “I’ve already talked to my parents, and this matter is settled. Remember to pay me back next year, and don’t make me come knocking on your door to collect the debt.”
"Thanks, little brother." Meng Qing accepted his kindness.
Meng Chun bared her teeth at her in disgust, "Don't disgust me."
Meng Qing glared at him. After thinking for a moment, she decided not to tell him about the matter she had asked Du Min to handle. She didn't know if it would succeed or not, so it was better to keep it from him to avoid him having too many expectations and waiting hopelessly year after year.
“I’m going to help Du Laosan move his betrothal gifts. There are so many carriages and processions outside, it’s quite a grand affair.” Meng Chun turned and left. “I’m going to share in his joy, hoping that I can marry a girl I like in the future.”
Meng Qing looked at the handful of shredded paper in her hand, then went to the backyard and stuffed it into the stove to burn.
...
An hour later, the carriage carrying the betrothal gifts was ready to depart, and it was time for Meng Qing and Du Li to leave.
Wang Zhou followed and went out to see them off.
"I'm leaving now." Meng Qing waved and instructed, "If you want to go out and play, have your grandparents accompany you, and don't wander off."
"Don't worry, his parents can take good care of him." Meng Chun put his arm around Wang Zhou's shoulder.
Wang Zhou wiped away her tears with one hand and raised the other hand to wave.
Meng Chun squatted down and picked him up, saying, "Just like your father, you never stop crying. There's no school today, your uncle will take you to play in the street."
Meng Qing got into the carriage, and when he could no longer see the boat, he slowly stopped crying.
*
Three days later, the convoy carrying the betrothal gifts arrived in Luoyang.
Du Min checked into the post station and sent someone to the county government to inform them. The next day, he brought betrothal gifts to the county government to formally propose marriage.
He presented the betrothal gifts in the morning and hurriedly embarked on his return journey in the afternoon.
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Author's note: See you tomorrow night at 8 PM.
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