Chapter 204 A Harmonious Family
"Meng Chun took the imperial edict I conferred and went to Dujiawan to show it off," Meng Qing said to her parents with a smile.
Mencius' mother perked up immediately upon hearing this, "What was your in-laws' reaction?"
“One of them was so angry that he wanted to go on a hunger strike, while the other didn’t go on a hunger strike, but he was also quite temperamental and got sick from the anger.” Meng Qing said with great enthusiasm, “When the banquet was held, everyone in Dujiawan, young and old, went, except for the two of them.”
“Not going won’t affect your reputation. Outsiders will only say that the two old people are being irresponsible, abusing their age, and unworthy of being elders.” Mother Meng felt quite triumphant.
“Of course, I am a county princess personally appointed by the female saint. Who dares to speak ill of me?” Meng Qing handed the letter in her hand to Du Li. She nudged him with her shoulder and said, “Nowadays, Meng Qing no longer relies on the Du family’s reputation and doesn’t need to be at anyone’s beck and call.”
"It's all thanks to the influence of Lady Meng," Du Li complimented. He shook the paper and laughed, "Congratulations, Lady Meng! You've turned your life around and no longer have to live at the mercy of others."
“I’ve never lived at the mercy of others before, I just did things a little furtively.” Meng Qing opened the other two letters, quickly read them, and said, “The cloth merchants Wang and Li said in their letters that they would help contact acquaintances in Suzhou and Yangzhou to persuade cloth merchants in those two prefectures to also purchase goods from Huaizhou. They also agreed in the letters that the cargo ship would arrive in Luoyang next March, and after they sold the goods, they would set off for Huaizhou.”
“We don’t have to worry about selling the hemp fibers from Huaizhou,” said Meng’s father. He pondered, “By the end of the year, the paper horse shops in Luoyang, Heqing County, Heyin County, and the five counties of Huaizhou will also make a lot of money. This money is useless to us. Why don’t we build a workshop to comb hemp fibers?”
“I heard from the third brother that he plans to build a workshop in Wuzhi County that specializes in hemp production, with the paper mill and hemp mill separate,” Du Li continued. “He plans to do fine processing of hemp fibers, including combing, sizing, and making warp and weft yarn rolls. Once the cloth merchants receive the goods, they can directly put them on the loom to weave cloth.”
Upon hearing this, Meng's father immediately changed his mind, saying, "Then forget it."
“Du Minjian’s official hemp workshop wasn’t designed to make a fortune. The goal was to provide a market for the ramie grown by farmers, achieving incomes similar to or even higher than those from wheat and soybean cultivation. This benefits the farmers, so the workshop’s own profits are kept very low. If you were to build a hemp workshop, on a small scale, the profits might only cover the labor costs, which wouldn’t be worthwhile,” Meng Qing analyzed. “Father, if you’re still young at heart and want to find ways to make money, I have an idea for you: build guesthouses within a five-mile radius of my academy for scholars from other counties to stay.”
“Huaizhou has no shortage of inns.” Meng’s father hesitated. “I know of three inns by name, with a total of several dozen rooms. That should be enough for us, right?”
“The guesthouse you’re going to build will be different from the existing ones. First, it will have more rooms, and second, the rent will be lower. For example, a room will cost four coins per night, fifty coins for half a month, ninety coins for a month, two hundred and sixty coins for a quarter, five hundred coins for half a year, and so on. The longer the lease term, the lower the rent. You’ll make money in the long term,” Meng Qing said. “If you build three buildings, each three stories high, with twenty rooms per floor, you can make a profit of two hundred guan a year. In the middle of the three buildings, you can also build a large canteen that sells three meals a day. Next to the canteen, you can build a shop that sells writing brushes, ink, paper, candles, clothing, bedding, buckets, and basins. These will also generate a considerable profit in a year.”
"Twenty rooms per floor? How long would that building have to be?" Meng's father shook his head.
“The room is small, just enough to fit a bed and a table and chairs. How nice do you plan to make the room for four coins a night?” Meng Qing explained, “This is mainly for poor scholars. It’s cheaper than renting a house in a villager’s house and more convenient than staying in a Buddhist temple. The scholars get the convenience, and you get the money and the reputation.”
"We can give it a try," Mencius' mother said. "Investing five to seven hundred strings of cash in three inns will break even in three years, and the rest will be profits."
"The cafeteria that sells food is the one that makes the money," Meng Qing said.
"I'll do as you say," Meng's mother decided. "Your father and I will start by buying land and building a house, and hopefully it will be completed by next spring."
Meng Qing nodded, "You guys go ahead and get busy." The busier she was, the more energetic she became.
"I'll be the supervisor when the house is being built, so my parents won't have to worry about it much." Du Li knew that dealing with the workers during the construction was the most tiring part.
Meng Qing slapped her thigh, an idea popping into her head: "Dad, Mom, go find your eldest grandson and have him make a model for you. Calculate in advance how big each room should be, which way the windows should face, and tell him what style you want. Let him keep adjusting it until you're satisfied."
“Alright, let my eldest grandson practice first.” Mr. Meng immediately perked up and said happily, “This house was well worth building.”
"Second sister-in-law, second brother, Uncle Meng, Aunt Pan, dinner's ready!" Du Min finished his shift and led Wang Chuan over to call out to them.
"Coming," Du Li replied. "Father, Mother, let's go eat."
It was already completely dark outside. When Meng's father saw him, he asked, "Third Uncle, you just got back? Were you busy with official business until so late?"
"To wrap things up a bit, I'll be taking Lin, the military advisor, to Wuzhi County tomorrow." Du Min received the Ministry of Revenue's approval yesterday, and he plans to allocate 40,000 strings of cash to build a hemp workshop in Wuzhi County. He's entrusted Lin, the county magistrate, with coordinating with the county magistrate. Afterward, he'll go to Luoyang to see if he can purchase 20,000 lambs at a low price from the Imperial Stud; it would be even better if he could buy them on credit.
"Second sister-in-law, I may not be staying in Hanoi County for long for the next month. Please take care of things at home and outside the mansion. I have instructed Military Advisor Lin to listen to your instructions while I am away," Du Min said.
Meng Qing was happy to oblige, "Sure, you can go ahead and do your thing."
Upon arriving at the dining room, Yin Caiwei and Wang Zhou were already seated and waiting. The two were still discussing the contents of the book, and only stopped talking when they saw that everyone had arrived.
“Wangzhou, your maternal grandparents are planning to buy land to build a guesthouse. They’re giving you a chance to practice. Make a model, calculate everything in detail, and build it according to your design when construction starts,” Meng Qing said as she sat down.
Wang Zhou was both surprised and delighted. He said in a panic, "But I have no experience. What if I mess it up?"
"At worst, we can just tear it down and rebuild. Your grandfather has plenty of money." Meng's father waved his hand generously.
Meng Qing glared at her father and interjected, "Models can be reworked, but guesthouses cannot be rebuilt. There are artisans in the prefecture, and a military advisor will be coming to take up his post in the future. If you don't understand the practical aspects, you can ask them for help; no one will refuse to guide you. There are also books in the library that were seized from the military advisor's office, which you can borrow at will. If you don't understand something, ask someone for advice. If you have any more profound questions, I can take you to Luoyang to visit someone knowledgeable in the field."
“Lin Canjun was saying today that he also wants to read books on construction engineering to better supervise the allocation of funds and storage materials involved in construction projects in the future. You can talk to him more,” Du Min continued. “If you want to personally understand the process of building a house from foundation to roof, and understand the differences between elm, locust, and jujube wood for beams, have your father send you to Wuzhi County to work with Lin Canjun on the construction of the workshop.”
"I understand." Wang Zhou nodded. "Third Uncle, you're going to Wuzhi County with Military Advisor Lin tomorrow, right? I'll go too."
"Take your tutor with you, and we'll also give you a coachman and a pageboy. Take good care of yourself over there," Meng Qing said. "When you want to come back, you can take your tutor and pageboy back in a carriage. Your father and I won't pick you up. If you're worried about safety on the road, have the local magistrate arrange for two constables to escort you."
"Understood," Wang Zhou replied.
"Brother, are we leaving?" Wang Chuan looked up from his rice bowl.
"My little brother is sleeping with me tonight." Wang Zhou didn't know how long he would be away from home, and he was reluctant to part with Wang Chuan.
"If you don't mind the extra burden, you can take him with you tomorrow," Du Li joked. "Wang Chuan, are you staying at home or going with your older brother?"
Wang Chuan's gaze shifted back and forth.
“Come with me,” Wang Zhou teased him. “I can take you horseback riding.”
Meng Qing and Du Li watched with smiles.
Wang Chuan gave a fake laugh, buried his head in his bowl, and pretended to be very busy eating, ignoring anyone who called him.
"Before dawn tomorrow, while you're still asleep, I'll carry you into the carriage and take you away," Wang Zhou threatened him.
“I’m not leaving.” Wang Chuan stopped pretending to be deaf.
Everyone else laughed.
After dinner, Meng Qing and Du Li went to pack Wang Zhou's luggage, while Wang Chuan dragged a stick covered in parrot feathers around the room.
"Okay, everything's packed. You two should go to bed early," Meng Qing said.
Du Li went out first and went to call the servants to fetch water.
Meng Qingqing checked her bundle to make sure nothing was missing, then she walked out, saying, "I'm going back to Qingzhu Courtyard."
Wang Chuan hurriedly jogged to catch up, "Wait for me, wait for me."
"You'll sleep with me." Wang Zhou went after him.
“You’ll sleep with your brother tonight,” Meng Qing said.
"No!" Wang Chuan hugged Meng Qing's leg tightly, waving his hands to prevent Wang Zhou from touching him, shouting that he wouldn't leave.
"I'm not taking you with me, I was just kidding." Wang Zhou laughed hysterically. "How can you be so stupid? I'm not taking you with me tomorrow morning."
That won't do either. Wang Chuan no longer believed him, so he climbed over the threshold and ran away.
"You really want to sleep with him? After he falls asleep, I'll have your dad bring him over?" Meng Qing said, having a wicked idea: "Wake him up tomorrow morning and give him a scare."
"Okay." Wang Zhou grinned mischievously.
"Go back inside, I'll go after him. Don't fall while running." Meng Qing left.
Wang Zhou turned and went into the house. After washing up, he lay on the bed with his legs crossed and waited. Before a candle had even burned out, footsteps sounded outside. Du Li brought Wang Chuan over.
Wang Zhou lifted the blanket and watched his oblivious younger brother lie down in his bed. He chuckled.
"Go to sleep early," Du Li whispered, "I've blown out the candles."
“Okay,” Wang Zhou replied softly.
The candlelight went out, plunging the room into darkness. With the sound of the door opening and closing, footsteps faded into the distance.
Night falls silent, and sleep begins.
As the seasons changed and the first rays of dawn appeared, a new day began.
"Little brother, little brother, wake up." After Wang Zhou got dressed, he nudged Wang Chuan awake.
Wang Chuan sat up groggily. "Want to eat?"
"Yes, it's time to eat." Wang Zhou stared at him, suppressing a laugh. "I'm leaving, you remember?"
Wang Chuan's eyes suddenly widened. He looked around inside and outside the bed, then stared blankly at Wang Zhou.
Wang Zhou couldn't help but laugh, "Get up quickly, your parents are waiting for us to eat."
Wang Chuan scratched his head. Didn't he run away from here last night?
"Where did you sleep last night?" Wang Zhou asked deliberately.
“Sleep with… with my parents,” Wangchuan replied.
"Then why are you on my bed?" Wang Zhou noticed that Wang Chuan's clothes were not there and said, "Wait, I'll go and call Dad to come and dress you."
As soon as Wang Zhou left, Wang Chuan lay back down on the bed and closed his eyes.
Du Li came over with the clothes and, seeing the situation, asked, "Wang Chuan, are you asleep again?"
"You're bad!" Wang Chuan flipped himself up like a big carp.
"What's wrong with me? Your older brother likes you, that's why he wants you to come and sleep with him." Du Li pulled him over and helped him put on his clothes. "Hurry up, everyone's eating."
Upon hearing this, Wang Chuan readily stretched out his legs and arms, and as soon as he landed, he hurriedly ran towards the dining room.
Meng Qing and the others were waiting in the main hall. When they heard familiar footsteps approaching, the group headed towards the dining room.
Wang Chuan ran into the dining room and was relieved to see that no one had started eating yet.
Du Li chased after him with a wet cloth, grabbed Wang Chuan and wiped his face a couple of times, saying, "Alright, let's go eat."
"Come here," Meng Qing called out. "I have your favorite chicken congee this morning. It's not too hot now, so you can eat it right away."
Du Min looked at Wang Chuan, then looked down at Yin Caiwei's belly and said, "Once it gets into the twelfth lunar month, I won't go far away."
Yin Caiwei smiled and said, "You can focus on your work. There are plenty of people at home to take care of me, so you don't need to worry about me while you're away."
“How can we not worry if he’s going to be worried?” Meng Qing replied. “We can arrange for our subordinates to run errands, but it’s only right that he stays home for a month.”
Du Min nodded, "I will arrange the official business."
After breakfast, Lin Canjun arrived with his bundle. Du Min didn't linger. Once the teacher arrived, he and Wang Zhou got into the carriage and went out.
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Author's note: See you at 12 o'clock.
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